Modern Day Konoha
by Shreedin
Summary: Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Ino live in a modern day Konoha. Each with their respective backgrounds and huge bank accounts, can they survive the fast life? SasuSaku/NaruIno
1. Chapter 1: The Elite

**Chapter 1: The Elite**

_Sakura's POV_

I'm standing with my two best friends at the cemetery in Upper Konoha. A light breeze blows as the blond-haired boy standing next to me kneels down at a grave marked "Minato Namikaze". Naruto whispers as he places a bouquet of fresh flowers in front of the tombstone. I bow my head respectfully then look up into the bright, clear sky, thinking about the past.

Naruto is the only son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. Minato was, and still is, for the most part, a well respected Konoha Intelligence Agency operative. His division led the struggle against the notorious terrorist organization known as Akatsuki. Minato Namikaze died during one of his missions. Naruto's mother, Kushina, was also an agent for the KIA, but after her husband's death, left the Agency.

Several months later the threats began to come. They were all from Akatsuki, promising that they were out to get the rest of Minato's family. To protect Naruto, the KIA changed his last name to his mother's and Naruto Namikaze became Naruto Uzumaki. Along with the name change, the KIA assigned one of their agents, Kakashi Hatake, to trail Naruto at all times and act as his body guard.

Minato's position in the government continues to provide Naruto with a steady, and huge, flow of money to the Namikaze/Uzumaki household, and it is this money that Naruto lives off of today. He lives in his family's condo located in Upper Konoha, and because of the constant absence of his mother, lives alone.

Naruto stands up with a sigh. I begin to walk towards the familiar figure that is standing in front of three graves up ahead, Naruto close behind me. I walk up to Sasuke and stand next to him. I look at the three graves stretched out in front of us and read the names silently. _Fugaku Uchiha. Mikoto Uchiha. Itachi Uchiha. _Sasuke's family died in a car crash two years ago, leaving the successful corporate business in Sasuke's hands. He sold it, of course, but still retains a hefty amount of stock in his father's company that makes him all the money he will ever need.

The crash changed Sasuke. Before he used to be more cheerful and outgoing but ever since the death of his family he became more serious and reserved. He wouldn't be so depressing around Naruto or me, of course. We are his best friends. We were the ones who were there for him during his time of struggle. We helped get him back on his feet and carry on with his life. We convinced him to spend his money on a loft instead of drugs. We got him to sell the company rather than run it into the ground and lose everything his family had left for him.

Once every week I would go with Naruto and Sasuke to the cemetery to visit their deceased family members. I always remembered to keep in mind how fortunate I was that no such tragedies had ever happened in my family. I am the daughter of the Entertainment Industry. My father is a world-renowned producer and my mother a greatly respected director. They are often out of the country for work, opting to film outside a studio to increase authenticity, but they always make sure I have enough money back at home. My parents are also into real estate, as my family owns Upper Konoha Haruno Tower, of which I call the very top floor – the penthouse – my home.

Three people, three lives, three stories. That's how it's always been with Sasuke, Naruto and me.

I don't quite remember how the three of us became friends. It was probably during an Upper Konoha banquet of some sort. Our families are powerhouses; our names are known throughout their respective fields. If I introduced myself to a local film studio I would be instantly glorified and the ass-kissing would ensue. If Sasuke walked into a stock market building he would be able to get anything he wanted from them. If Naruto mentioned his name at the doors of any government building, he would have full access to everything in there.

But we never flaunt our celebrity. In fact, the three of us would be perfectly fine if we had different names and backgrounds, just as long as we had each other and our money. That was probably the one thing we are addicted to: spending. We indulge on expensive food and clothing. Our homes are filled with custom made furniture and our closets filled with designer labels. Not that we're complaining, though. There are plenty of perks just living in Upper Konoha, like the never ending nightlife and terrific hangouts. There's never a dull moment living the fast lives that we live. In fact, things can get a little too exciting.


	2. Chapter 2: Life in Upper Konoha

**Chapter 2: Life in Upper Konoha**

_Sakura's POV_

I stir my ice water with my straw and watch the beads of dew on the side of the glass roll down to the napkin below my cup as I listen to the peaceful clinking sounds of the ice connecting with the glass. I would usually find this a boring activity, but at the moment it was a nice alternative to my other, less attractive option: listening to Naruto yap about something or other. I took a nice long sip of my drink and sighed.

"Look, Naruto, we don't really care about Shino's bug collection. Stop sounding so enthusiastic about it," Sasuke said, exasperated. I shot him a _Thank you for shutting him up!_ look, and in response he shook his head with a smile.

"Fine, whatever. Oh hey, here comes our food!" Naruto said excitedly. The three of us were having dinner at our favorite restaurant along The Strip, called Setsuna's. We dined here together almost twice every week, having grown up to their delicious steaks and specialty fish entrees. I dipped my spoon in my asparagus soup, grateful for the arrival of our food.

After our meal was finished and the plates were taken away, as sort of an afterthought, Naruto ordered two glasses of wine, one for him and one for Sasuke.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan, but you're not old enough to drink yet." Naruto smiles at me.

"You know I can drink. Just not legally," I countered with a wink. Both Naruto and Sasuke are 21 and I'm 19. I don't mind being younger than them. They know that I might as well be 21 too, for all we know the only major deterrent from my age is that I can't legally drink.

"Speaking of drinking, I'm going to throw another party at my place two nights from today," Naruto said while stretching his arms over his head. "You two are invited, naturally."

"Hm," Sasuke hummed consent while taking a sip from his wine glass.

"Alright. Who else is going? Do you actually have a guest list this time? The whole 'guests invite more guests' thing is a little overdone now. It's not classy anymore." I said.

"Of course I have a guest list, Sakura!"

"Let's see it then."

Naruto scratched his head. "I don't have it with me… Actually I won't get to see it until my party manager's done writing it up!"

"That defeats the purpose of writing up a guest list, dobe, if you still don't know half the people on there," Sasuke shook his head.

"Ahhh, whatever. I gave her some guidelines, at least. I told her to send invitations to all the people our age who live around here. At least then we won't have _complete_ strangers this time! Plus, keeping the guest list huge and mysterious gives us more opportunities to meet more people, don't you agree, Sasuke?" Naruto playfully punched the other boy's arm.

"Hn." Sasuke finished off his wine.

"Naruto, how can you be so careless?" I laughed.

With a huge grin Naruto said, "Because you and this guy are such party poopers, I have to be the one doing all the fun stuff!"

I feigned shock. "Huh! Sasuke, did you hear that? Naruto called us party poopers!"

"Dobe, you know we are far from that," Sasuke chuckled.

"Prove it teme. Sakura. Two nights from now. Show me that you guys don't kill the party!"

I laughed and waved my hand in a dismissive motion, "Are you kidding? We'll be the freaking _life_ of the party, Naruto!"


	3. Chapter 3: The Scene

**Chapter 3: The Scene**

_Naruto's POV_

"Is my outfit okay?" Sakura asked, doing a little twirl for Sasuke and me. She was wearing leopard print tights under a bright red miniskirt, laced-up high-heeled boots, and paired with a zebra striped tee shirt and black leather jacket, perfectly representing tonight's party's theme: _Born to be Wild!_

"Yeah, yeah, Sakura, you're such a girl! Does the theme really matter? Guys will be all over you anyway." I told her.

She put a hand on her hip. "Naruto, you're the one who set the theme. And now you're saying that it doesn't even matter? How does that make any sense?"

"My party planner made me do it. She was all 'A theme will add flair! A theme will give the party some personality!' So I went along with it. Well, not really." I smirked and looked down at what I was wearing. It was true; I was wearing my nicest pair of jeans and a leather jacket of my own, with a white shirt. But no wild animal print or pattern of any kind to acknowledge the dress theme. "Oh, who cares? It's my party after all."

Sakura sighed and took a seat next to me on the couch. All around us my party planner and her team were running around setting up the lights, clearing the dance floor, and organizing the open bar. The DJ was setting up his station and starting to mix the playlist. Heavy bass began to pour from the speakers and I stood up. Walking over to the bar I reminded my party manager to start up the Jacuzzi and extend the lighting system to the balcony.

"Three tequilas," I said to the bartender, who nodded and walked away. I glanced back over to the couch and saw Sakura talking with Sasuke. I heard clinking and turned back around, grabbing the shot glasses and bringing them back over to the living room.

"Thank you, dobe." Saskue said as I came back with the drinks.

"Cheers to a bitchin' night!" I shouted and downed the shot in one gulp. Sakura and Sasuke followed suit and the music seemed to grow even louder. A voice from the foyer called my name. I put my shot glass down on the table and jogged to the door. My assigned KIA bodyguard, Kakashi, was there, holding a clipboard and pen. He always acted as the bouncer at all my parties.

"Ah, Naruto, there you are. Guests are starting to arrive. Should I let them in?"

"Yeah, yeah go ahead! Let's get this party starteeeeed!" I yelled. Kakashi opened the door and people began streaming into my condo. I strolled back into the living-room-now-dance-floor and motioned for Sakura and Sasuke to join me. They did, and so did about 350 other people.

"KIIIBAAAA!" I yelled over the music to a boy with dark hair who had just walked in. I motioned with my hand to cut through the crowed and join us. Along with him was Tenten, Neji, Temari, and Hinata, old friends from school.

"Hey, Naruto! How's it going, man?" Kiba shouted, grabbing my hand.

"Nothing much! Bar's over there," I said, pointing in the direction of the kitchen-now-bar, "Grab a drink and get loose!"

After a few more drinks I started to get a serious buzz. As I was reaching for a 6th champagne from a passing waiter, Sakura grabbed my hand. "Don't drink too much, Naruto. You don't want to feel like a shitbag in the morning. Remember our rule!" That reminded me about the semi-pact that the three of us made. We promised each other that at any party we would only drink enough to loosen up, but not too much that we'd have massive hangovers in the morning. How could we live the fast life if we had huge headaches and massive bouts of vomiting the night after a party?

Sakura's voice brought me back to the scene. "Besides, something's telling me that you're going to want to remember this night." She winked at me and blended back into the crowd. I grinned and shook my head, walking up the steps to the DJ stage. He handed me a microphone and lowered the music.

"HEY HOW'S EVERYONE TOOOONIGHTTT?" I shouted, and the crowed screamed back at me. Looking out at the sea of people in my house, I saw some faces I recognized, but plenty I have never seen before. "ALLLRIIIGHT! LET'S TURN THIS PARTY OVER TO YOU GUYS! TAKE THE FREAKING SPOTLIGHT AND COME UP HERE AND SIIIING!" I declared. I passed the spotlight, and the mike, over to a brave soul that came up to the stage. He started belting the lines to _Let it Rock_ by Kevin Rudolf. He was actually pretty good, to tell the truth.

Sakura joined me on the stage and we danced together, much to the crowd's enjoyment. As one person after another came up to take the mike, Sakura and I grinded and freaked, exciting the guests.

The bass pounded and the smell of sweat twirled with expensive perfume and cologne. I moved my body to the beat and whispered to Sakura over her shoulder, "Dance off?"

She turned around with a smirk. "Bring it on."

I motioned to the DJ for a better beat and he started the song _Teach Me How To Jerk_ and that's just what I did. The beat and bass flowed through my body as I did the Reject and Pindrop. I did some break dancing too, just to get the crowed going. They loved it. I ended my turn by pointing over to Sakura, who had moved to the other side of the stage.

Audio Push blended into Ciara and the beats of _1, 2 Step_ began to play. Sakura rolled her body and flipped her hair, taking some moves from the song's actual music video. I had to give it to her, she was good. After a few more turns back and forth, the dance off ended and the DJ returned to the night's playlist. Sakura strutted over with a happy smile on her face and gave me a sloppy hug. "Have fun!" She called back to me after jumping down from the stage.

I walked over to the DJ to request a song as a blond haired girl took the mike. I couldn't help it – she caught my eye. The blondie was wearing a red strapless dress and giraffe print pumps. Her long, blonde hair was loose and fell around her shoulders in light waves. She was beautiful. I watched as she danced and starting to sing _Poker Face_ by Lady Gaga. She was probably the best singer that sang that night. I was completely blown away.

The shots and champagne from earlier boosted my bravery and I walked over to her in the middle of her song. I danced behind her and she welcomed it. She continued to keep the song up with her terrific voice. Her hair smelled like honey and flowers and her skin was a milky cream. I was completely star struck! After the song ended she grabbed my hand and dragged me off the stage with her, passing the mike off to the next aspiring singer. We weaved ourselves through the crowd until we reached the center of the party. We danced together for the rest of the night, much to my pleasure.

The music continued through the night as the blonde and I got to know each other with our dance moves. But I needed to know more. Who was this amazing girl I was dancing with?


	4. Chapter 4: Ino Yamanaka

**Chapter 4: Ino Yamanaka**

_Sasuke's POV_

"Oh Sasuke, you're so _hot_." A pretty red head sitting next to me on Naruto's couch said. I was probably the perfect picture of a playboy at that moment, sitting on an expensive leather sofa with girls in miniskirts and short dresses and high heels all around me, begging for my attention. I wanted to take a break with my martini but was bombarded with these ladies. I didn't mind it at all until one girl worked up the courage to unbutton the top buttons of my shirt and run her fingers along my chest. At that point I looked at her and politely pushed her hand away, seeing as she was piss drunk.

I looked past my semi-unwanted company to the party in front of me, spotting Naruto dancing with the blond girl who had just sung the Lady Gaga song. From the way they were dancing I could tell they were into each other. I didn't blame them; the girl was pretty stunning and Naruto had a certain charm about him. I looked at the girl some more, determining that she was totally not my type.

I saw a flash of pink and looked at Sakura walking towards me with a silly smile plastered to her face. "We're having so much fun, Sasuke! Come join us!" She took my hand and led me out to the floor, grabbing the martini I was working on and finishing it off for me, then placing it on the empty tray of a passing waitress. The girls who I had been sitting with were probably pissed; they were trying to get me to dance with them for hours, and here comes a girl with pink hair who so easily got me to go with her. _And _she drank some of my martini.

I spent the rest of the party on the dance floor with Sakura and some other socialites from Upper Konoha.

"I see you met someone?" I asked the dobe. The party was over and the guests had gone home. Inside Naruto's party planning group and the DJ were cleaning up and packing up. We were sitting in Naruto's Jacuzzi, relaxing our muscles after a hard night of dancing.

"Yeah," Naruto sighed, head hanging over the edge of the small pool, "She's amazing."

"You _did _invite her stay after the party, didn't you?"

Naruto snapped his head up with an offended look on his face, "Of course I did! I'd be a dumbass if I didn't. Her and Sakura are inside changing right now."

I smirked, "Do you know her name yet?"

"Of course I would know that! It's Ino." Naruto dipped his head under the hot water.

When he resurfaced I asked, "Any last name?"

"Not yet," he mumbled. "Besides, the music was too loud to ask!" I shook my head as the slide door to the balcony opened and the two girls stepped out into the night air. Sakura had on a light green bikini that matched her eyes, with silver sequins. The girl called Ino wore a dark purple bikini. Both girls had their long hair pulled back into messy buns at the top of their heads.

Stepping into the water, Ino said, "Thanks for the awesome party, Naruto, I had so much fun!"

"I'm sure you did," Sakura laughed as she stepped in too. After getting used to the temperature, she continued, "So where are you from?"

"Oh, I just moved to this area, actually. My family owns an estate in West Konoha Hills." Ino said. Sakura nodded with a _not too shabby _face.

Ino held her hand out to me. "I'm Ino Yamanaka, by the way."

I raised my eyebrow as I shook her hand. Naruto made a small choking noise and Sakura laughed. "Ino _Yamanaka?" _I asked.

"That's right!" Sakura trilled. "She's Inoichi Yamanaka's daughter. That's _the_ Inoichi Yamanaka, who owns Yamanaka Records. Isn't that sick?"

"Wait, Sakura, you already knew Ino?" Naruto asked. For some reason he looked a little uncomfortable as Ino settled back into her spot after shaking my hand.

Ino answered for the pinkette, "Yep. Sakura and I go way back. Our parents collaborated on a project six years ago. It was a movie on the life of a starlet who worked her way up the music industry. I've known Sakura since then."

I looked over to Sakura with my eyebrow up, and she met my look with a nod and smile, indicating that Ino's story was true. "Wow." I said.

"HEY SAKURA, YOU NEVER MENTIONED KNOWING INO BEFORE! WHY DIDN'T YOU INTRODUCE ME TO THIS HOTTIE EARLIER?" Naruto shouted accusingly. I looked over to Ino to see her reaction to Naruto's outburst. She was smiling, and didn't seem to be blushing. That was a sign of confidence, which I could tell Ino had plenty of. She was perfect for Naruto.

Sakura laughed and said, "Didn't you hear? She just moved to Konoha! It's not like I could introduce you guys if she lived miles away!" Naruto grumbled in response and sat back down. "Anyway," Sakura continued, "Ino's practically the daughter of the Music Industry, what with her parents virtually heading the whole thing."

"Nice. So that's why you sang so well up on stage. I was wondering if you were something different." I commented.

"Hey, don't call her different, teme!" Naruto held his fist up to my face.

"I meant it in a _good_ way, dobe!" I said back, waving his hand away. The girls giggled.

"You're such a _nut,_ Naruto!" Sakura chimed.

"I like nuts." Ino raised her eyebrow suggestively at Naruto.

…. Then she realized the triple meaning of her words.

Sakura and Ino burst out into outright laughter, I smirked, and Naruto chuckled. "Holy shit, Ino, you're such a dirty pig!" Sakura slapped the water, tears coming out of her eyes.

"I didn't mean it that way!" Ino screamed, shaking her head, still laughing. She sighed as she calmed down and rested her head against Naruto's shoulder. "No, but seriously, I like you." She looked up into Naruto's face with a somewhat dreamy look.

Sakura stood up, water dripping down her stomach. "Okay, Sasuke, I think it's time for us to get out and leave these two to themselves." She turned and smiled at me before climbing out.

Ino was now nuzzling Naruto's neck and I followed Sakura out, handing her a towel while grabbing my own. "Later, Dobe, Ino." I followed Sakura back into the condo. After closing the door, I saw Sakura run up the stairs that led to Naruto's bedroom. "Come on, Sasuke!"

Shaking my head, I followed Sakura up the stairs. "Spying on them isn't very ladylike, Sakura." I said as she bounded to the window and took a peek down to the balcony.

"Oh whatever Sasuke, you know you're curious. It's been a while since he's invited someone to stay with us after a party. I think he really likes Ino!" She opened the drapes a little further. "AWWWWW! HOW CUTE!"

That got me. I quickly walked over to the window next to Sakura and took a look. Ino and Naruto were still in the Jacuzzi, and they were kissing! "Hmph," I smirked to myself, "They seem to be getting along well." As if on cue, Naruto reached his hand up behind Ino and raised his middle finger in our direction. Then he motioned for us to close the drapes. I took the curtain from Sakura's hand, closing it.

"Aww, Sasuke! C'mon, I gotta see this!" Sakura whimpered.

"No, you don't. Why don't you change out of that and leave them be? You were the one who insisted we let them have the Jacuzzi all to themselves, after all," I smiled down at my pink-haired friend. "I'm going to shower."

"Oh fine," she conceded. I walked into Naruto's bathroom and shut the door, starting the shower. After washing the chlorine off of me, I wrapped a towel around my waist and walked out of the bathroom. Sure enough, there Sakura was, peeking out the window again. At least she had listened to me and changed. She was wearing one of Naruto's old t-shirts, the one he got at an Eminem concert, that is.

Sneaking up behind her, I wrapped my arms around Sakura's waist and lifted her up off the ground and away from the window. She made a small squeaking noise then started kicking and laughing.

"Let me down, Sasuke! C'mon dude!"

"No! Stop spying on the dobe!" I threw her over my shoulder and started walking down the stairs. She stopped kicking and kept on laughing. I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Putting Sakura down on a barstool, I walked over to the fridge and opened it up, taking a look while fixing my towel.

"Does he have any peanut butter?" Sakura asked behind me. I checked the shelves, and grabbed the jar of peanut butter. Grabbing a spoon and a bowl, I scooped some of the creamy brown snack into the bowl and slid it across the counter to Sakura. Then I returned to the fridge and grabbed a Coke for myself. Resting my elbows on the counter across from Sakura, I popped open the can and took a swig.

"Hey, do you think—"She began.

"AHHHHH." Naruto and Ino entered the condo. "How relaxing!" I love Jacuzzis, don't you?"

"You two seem to enjoy them much more than I ever have!" Sakura laughed, placing a scoop of peanut butter in her mouth.

"Hey, were you spying on us?" Ino asked, eyebrows up. Naruto handed her a towel and she wrapped it around herself.

Sakura, mouth too full of peanut butter to speak clearly, looked up at me with a smirk. I raised both my hands up, "Hey, I was showering. No way I could've peeked."

Ino walked over to the kitchen, Naruto following. "I wouldn't have thought you were spying, Sasuke. But Sakura here is another story…" Ino trailed off, standing next to Sakura. Sakura looked up at Ino's expression and hugged the other girl around the waist.

"You know you love me, Ino-pig!" Sakura said through her mouthful of peanut butter.

"Oh, get off me!" Ino laughed, contradicting her words by hugging Sakura back. "I'm going to shower. Where's your bathroom?" she turned back to Naruto.

"Oh, it's upstairs. Let me show you." Naruto led Ino up the stairs.

Sakura turned back to me, eyes wide. "Wait, Naruto has like, five guest bathrooms downstairs." Then she and I broke into laughter.


	5. Chapter 5: Interest

**Chapter 5: Interest**

_Sakura's POV_

I opened my eyes and became aware of my surroundings. I was lying in my bed, light streaming through my glass wall. I'd forgotten to close the blinds upon coming home the night before, and fell asleep to the view of the city through my window-wall. My room was perfectly neat except for the bundle of clothes I wore to Naruto's the night before. I glanced down under the covers and found myself still wearing my bikini with Naruto's Eminem shirt over it. I yawned. My mouth felt all sticky from the peanut butter I devoured for dinner.

I turned to my side and checked the clock on my nightstand. _1:28pm._ I had gotten in a good 8 hours of sleep. I crawled out of my bed and jumped into my slippers, making my way to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, took a shower, and blow dried my hair. Walking over to my closet, I put on jeans, a nice tank top and jacket. I looked at myself in the mirror and decided to put on a little mascara and lip gloss. I'd put on more makeup later, if I felt like it by then.

I sat down in my beanbag and flipped on the TV while checking my phone. _21 New Messages_. Scrolling through them, I realized just how many guys I had hung out with at the party. _Yo Sakura, it's Sora from Naruto's party last night. Had a great time. How about dinner tomorrow night? _I smiled and shook my head as I deleted the random-guy messages.

When I was done with that, I leaned back against the beanbag, watching the latest episode of _Jersey Shore._ I laughed at how silly they all were. Sure, they knew how to party, but they didn't have the level of class that the parties I attended had.

I decided to call Ino.

"Hello?" A groggy voice answered after several rings.

"Ino! It's Sakura. Are you okay? You don't sound good." I asked worriedly.

"Ahhhhh Sakura. Ah, I'm alright…. I just have a headache, that's all. It's probably a hangover. Hurts like a mother-!" Ino mumbled through the phone, her sentence dropping towards the end.

I switched the phone to my other ear as I grabbed my keys and put on my boots. "Hey, I know just how to cure that. I'm coming over now, get ready!" I hung up. The elevator ride down Haruno Tower was relaxing, since I got the whole gigantic thing to myself. I convinced my parents to have them play good music in the elevators and I did a little dance to Ke$ha while the contraption raced towards the ground 50 stories.

The elevator dinged and I stepped into the building's lobby.

"Hello, Miss Sakura. Will you be needing a chauffeur today?" the doorman asked me as I walked out the door.

I flashed him a kind smile, "No thank you, I'll be driving myself today."

The ride to Ino's was nice. The highway led me through wheat fields and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, so I lowered the roof of my white BMW convertible. I put my shades on, turned the music up and sang along. Ino's estate was easy to find. I drove up the round-a-bout driveway and parked in front of their home.

My boots clicked as I walked up their porch steps and rang the doorbell. Ino's father, Inoichi, answered the door.

"Hello! I'm Sakura, is Ino home?" Of course I knew Ino was home, but I had to ask as a matter of politeness.

"Hello, nice to meet you, I'm Ino's father," he shook my hand, "Ino is upstairs in her room. Would you like to come in? Her room is the first door on the left after going up the stairs," he motioned for me to come inside.

"Thank you very much!" I walked past the famous music producer and made my way up the grand staircase. Ino's door was closed, so I knocked then went in. "Inooo!"

"Unnnghhh," was her reply. I walked around the corner and saw a figure huddled under the covers of a large bed. I walked over to Ino to check her condition.

"Yep. You've got a hangover. C'mon, Ino. I can fix this. You just have to come with me! Let's get you dressed and presentable to the public. C'mon hon." I pulled her upright and she slowly made her way out of her bed. I led her to her bathroom to fix herself up then walked into her closet. I grabbed a nice denim skirt and sweater, handing them to her after she washed up. After she put them on I tamed her bed head and put her hair back in a slick ponytail.

"Sorry for you to see me like this. I'm such a mess," Ino grumbled.

"Don't. Even. Worry about it. I've seen hangovers worse than this, hon. The sooner we can get you out of here the sooner we can make you all better again!" I stepped back and looked at Ino. She looked fresh and clean, and no sign of the hangover she was suffering showed. It was all internal damage now.

I took her arm and led her downstairs and into my car.

"Hood up or hood down?" I asked her.

"Definitely hood _down._ The sun's too much," Ino placed her head in her hands, rubbing her eyes. "And turn the music down, please."

I pushed the knob to turn the music off completely. "Okay. So I'm taking you to this little café that I go to almost every day. They'll have just the thing to cure your little hangover." I told her as we sped down the highway. She didn't respond. The poor girl! It reminded me of a time when Sasuke was drunk. Actually, that was the time when he, Naruto, and I made the No Overdrinking pact. Sasuke had drank himself out until all his brain cells ceased to function. He was so drunk that he almost went all the way with some girl we didn't know at a party, and Naruto had to pull him off of her. Naruto had to keep him at his house that night. The next morning Sasuke was a wreck. He had absolutely no memory of the night before and was vomiting left and right.

"We're here," I said softly to the girl in my passenger seat after I parked my car along The Strip.

Ino looked out the window. "_Café, Leche, y mas?" _she read the name of the place we had pulled up to.

"Yep! It's my favorite place in the world. Well, one of them anyways. C'mon, let's get you in." I had to take Ino's arm again as I led her to a table in the corner. I sat her down then got into the order line. I came back to the table with two coffees, a scone, and a cookie. Taking a mug and the scone, I handed her the other mug and the cookie. She sniffed it and asked, "What's in this thing? It doesn't smell like chocolate chip."

I winked at her, "It's called a _To Hell With You, Hangover! _cookie. I helped this place develop the formula. It's on their secret menu. Take a bite, it really works!"

Ino hesitantly brought the cookie to her lips. I urged her on and she took a bite. "Mph, this is actually kind of good."

I smiled and took a sip of my coffee. I did the same thing for Sasuke the morning after that one hangover. At first he was reluctant to eat it, but after I got him to chew and swallow he was instantly cured. "Just be sure to eat it all, or it won't work." Sure enough, she did. And changed into a totally different person.

"Holy crap, Sakura, thanks so much for that! You're an angel. You probably saved me from the worst hangover of my life! Damn that was an amazing cookie, in more ways than one." Ino finished her coffee.

"Now there's the Ino I know!" I laughed and ate my scone. "So how did you like the party last night?"

"Oh. My. God. It was the best party I have _ever_ gone to! You guys in Konoha really know how to party it up."

"Yeah, we know," I laughed, "So what's this with you and Naruto? Are you guys serious?"

Ino blushed a little. "I _hope_ so. He's such an amazing guy, you know? And _funny! _But… I don't know if he likes me back. Like, seriously."

I gave her a look. "Are you kidding? _Of course he likes you!_ He only keeps the girls he's absolutely serious about around after the party's over, with the exclusion of me, of course. Trust me, I've known the guy forever and he's definitely into you."

"You really think so?" She gave me a look of disbelief.

"Honey, I _know_ so. He totally likes you." I pointed a finger at her. "You know what? How about you have dinner with the three of us tonight. You, me, Naruto, and Sasuke."

"Oh, I don't know.." Ino began.

"Then I'll decide for you!" I grinned and dialed Sasuke's number immediately. "Hey Sasuke, we still on for Setsuna's tonight?"

_"Yeah, sure. Let's do 8:30."_ Sasuke said on the line.

"Alright cool. 8:30 then. I'll call Naruto."

_"Oh, he's actually at my place right now. But he said something about having plans." _

I turned my head away from Ino's eyes and semi-whispered, "Sasuke, Ino's coming with us."

There was some silence on the line, then Sasuke's voice, _"I'll clear his plans for him."_ I could practically hear the wink and smile in his voice.

"Perfect," I laughed, "I'll drop by your place with Ino to pick you guys up later." Sasuke and I said our goodbyes and I hung up then put my phone back into my bag.

"Well, plans are set!" I said to Ino, who looked rather uncomfortable. "Oh, Ino, trust me, you're going to thank me later. Want to go for mani-pedis to pass the time? It's all on me!"


	6. Chapter 6:Preparation and Implementation

**Chapter 6: Preparation and Implementation**

_Sasuke's POV_

I hung up the phone with Sakura and turned to the blond haired boy glued to my entertainment system.

"Oi, dobe!" I yelled to him over the gunshots of Call of Duty.

"Teme! Come back! I can't hold them off by myself! Freaking zombies!" Naruto shouted back.

"DOBE! Listen to me! We're going to Setsuna's tonight with Sakura!"

"Alright, alright, fine, good, cool, HURRY UP AND GET BACK OVER HERE! I CAN'T KILL THEM ALL BY MYSELF!"

I walked back over to my spot on the floor next to Naruto and picked up my abandoned game controller.

"Alriiiiiiight! We won!" Naruto cheered at the Level Cleared screen. "Heh, look at that, Sasuke. I killed more zombies than you did."

"That's because I was on the phone with Sakura, idiot." I shook my head.

"Yeah, yeah, I still could've beat you. So we're meeting up with Sakura tonight? Why doesn't she just come here like usual and we can all go together?" Naruto looked at me questioningly.

"She's hanging out with Ino." I said. Naruto's face blanched. "Then she's going to bring Ino to dinner with us." I didn't think it possible, but Naruto's face paled even more.

"Dinner… Ino… SHIT SASUKE, WHY DID YOU TELL ME EARLIER?" Naruto stood up and started pacing.

"I tried, dobe, I tried, remember?" I shook my head again. Naruto looked down at his cargos and tee shirt and cursed under his breath.

"Dammit, Sasuke! I can't wear this to dinner _with INO_! And my place's still a wreck from last night! The cleaners would've just started cleaning and they won't let me in while they work. SASUKE HELP ME!"

I sighed and stood up. We walked into my room and Naruto darted straight to my closet. I lied back on my bed, listening to the rustling of clothes coming from inside my closet. The closet door opened and I looked up to see Naruto wearing one of my pairs of jeans and one of my jackets.

"Oi, Sasuke, can I borrow all this?" Naruto stood in front of the mirror and ran his fingers through his hair.

I sat up. "Yeah, yeah sure. Actually, keep that jacket. It looks better on you anyway. But give me those jeans back."

"Thanks, teme!" Naruto walked over to my dresser and picked up random bottles of my cologne, sniffing them. I sighed, got up, and joined him at my dresser. I pulled The Beat by Burberry and handed it to the blond boy.

"This one. Trust me." I told him lazily. I stepped back as he sprayed the cologne on himself. Afterwards, he replaced the bottle and messed with his hair in front of the mirror. I walked into my bathroom and washed my face. Lifting my face from a towel, I saw Naruto leaning against the doorframe.

"Heh, we're practically invincible." Naruto said thoughtfully.

"What are you talking about, dobe?" I asked him.

"Well, you've got the gift of looking like a god and I've got the talent of charming the ladies." He winked at me. I shook my head but smiled despite myself. He was right in a way; I was definitely better than he was at arranging outfits and picking cologne, but Naruto still won when it came to making actual conversation with women. "Now I can stop freaking out now that I know what I'm going to wear!"

"You're not worried about Ino?"

"Nah, bro, I got it down. Conversation with her is easy. She's so… you know? Just amazing. I really like this girl, dude," he smiled dreamily.

"Then you should thank Sakura later. Tonight's dinner was her idea," I told him.

"So that means Sakura approves of me dating her old friend?"

"Well, yeah, she was already fine with it last night."

"AHHHH! YOU AND SAKURA-CHAN ARE THE BEST!"


	7. Chapter 7: Joining the High Profiles

**Chapter 7: Joining the High Profiles**

_Ino's POV_

We pulled up to the building Sasuke lived in.

"Alright guys, where are you," Sakura mumbled to herself, taking her phone out and composing a text. A few seconds later her phone chimed and two figures walked out of the building's main door.

When Naruto and Sasuke reached the car, they literally hopped inside, not even bothering to open the door and step in. "Thanks for keeping the top down, Sakura! Keeping the top on a convertible really cramps your style, don't you agree, Ino?" Naruto poked my arm from the backseat.

"Not if it's raining," I pointed out.

"Or if you have a massive hangover," Sakura glanced over at me with a smile, which I returned.

"Something we're missing back here, ladies?" Sasuke said.

"Actually yeah, Sasuke," Sakura answered, "Ino tried a _To Hell With You, Hangover!_ cookie this morning."

"And I heard all about its conception," I added. "Man, Sasuke, I can't see you being the drunk-shitless one!" Sakura, Naruto, and I laughed. Sakura turned up the radio then, saying something about not wanting Sasuke to feel too uncomfortable. We zoomed down The Strip, music blasting. To someone walking along the street we probably looked like a bunch of no-good spoiled teenagers, but hey, we were just having some fun!

Sakura parked on the curb and handed her keys over to the attendant at the valet parking stand. Inside Setsuna's was a zoo. It was a Saturday night and everyone had the same idea of dining out.

"Ah, the wait looks so—" I started.

"Sasuke! Naruto! Sakura! Welcome back!" the hostess trilled.

Sakura stepped up. "Hello Hotaru. Could we get a table for four this time?"

"Of course! We'll clear a table for you."

"So sorry for not making a reservation, we kind of planned dinner relatively last-minute tonight." Sakura continued.

"Oh, don't even think about it! It's never a problem for us when it comes to you three." the older woman said, waving her hand dismissively. That diminished all my thoughts I had earlier about how much I dreaded waiting for tables. Man, Sakura was connected!

As the hostess led us father into the restaurant, I couldn't help but think about how luxurious the place was. The lighting was low, the bar was clean, and all the waiters and waitresses had their own unique look, as if they hired based on their modeling potential rather than their skill.

The hostess, Hotaru, seated us at a table with four seats, two on either side. Sakura followed Sasuke over to one side, leaving me with a spot next to Naruto. I mentally reminded myself to thank her later.

Conversation flowed easily between the four of us. By the time our entrees had arrived, we had covered the topics of movies, music, and even a little of world politics. I was surprised by how thorough they were able to discuss world issues. So they didn't live in their own little bubbles, after all. Not that I originally thought that, really. We finished our main courses and were waiting for our desert.

"So Sakura, how are your parents doing?" I asked her.

"My parents? Oh, they're good. In fact, I just got an email from them a few days ago. Let me find it," she rummaged through her purse for her cell phone and pulled up the email. "Here it is!" She passed the phone to me. Displayed was a picture of a man and a woman. The man was tall and relatively good looking for a man of his age, and the woman was petite and youthful. Neither had pink hair, though. Where had their daughter inherited such a trait? "They're in the Sand right now, filming their latest movie," Sakura continued, "It's a pity I can't tell anyone about their projects before they come out in theaters. You guys would love this next movie!"

I handed the phone back to Sakura. "Are your parents gone a lot?"

"Yeah," I saw a small glint of sadness in her eyes. "But it's okay. They keep in touch and visit whenever they can. They send about five emails a week, and they're always sending photos too." There was an awkward silence after that, in which I began to regret my earlier question. Luckily, the chocolate cakes arrived before the silence became too unbearable.

I broke a piece of the little cake with my fork, placing it in my mouth. The sweetness of the cocoa was perfect, and I smiled.

"Isn't it delicious? This is one of my favorite deserts here!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Heh, yeah, you order this for all of us pretty much every time we come," Sasuke commented.

"Ino, tip for the future: if Naruto ever goes all PMS on you, and that's Pre-MANstrual-Syndrome, by the way, all you have to do is bring him here and feed him this, then BAM you've got him as happy as a senile crack addict who found his old stash." Sakura waved her fork at me.

"I'll keep that in mind," I replied. I finished off my cake and looked over at Naruto's plate. He had one last bite left, and while he was somewhat distracted by a conversation with Sasuke over cars, I snaked my arm out and stole the rest of Naruto's cake with my fork, stuffing it in my mouth before anyone could stop me.

"Damn, girl, you've got nerve!" Sakura laughed. I didn't take my eyes off of Naruto, though, while I chewed and swallowed the last bit of his cake. My eyes locked with his, and I smiled.

"You. Did. Not. Just. Do! That!" Naruto said playfully. He leaned in closer to me and for a split second I thought he was going to tackle me. Instead, he kissed me. I closed my eyes as my lips met his, his tongue touching my lower lip, asking for entrance. Just before I was about to give in, Naruto abruptly pulled back. I opened my eyes to find out what was going on and saw Naruto with a huge grin, holding my cell phone. Shocked, I looked at my purse, which was hanging on my chair. The button was popped open. He went through the bag for my phone while we were kissing!

"You! Naruto! What are you doing!" I laughed, lunging for my phone. Naruto held it farther away from me, and put his arm around my shoulders. Before I knew what was going on, Naruto quickly flipped my phone around in his hand and held it up, taking a photo of us.

"Aaaaand _posted_." Naruto said, then gave the phone back to me. I quickly flipped through my apps, first checking my MySpace, then my Twitter, my blog, and my Tumblr, until Sasuke, looking at his own phone, said, "It's your Facebook."

I quickly entered my Facebook app and that's when my phone died. Bam. Ran out of batteries before I could see what Naruto had posted. I looked up, probably looking like a lost puppy. A smiling Sasuke handed his phone to Sakura, who took a look and giggled. "Oh my god, Ino, you two look so adorable! Aww."

"What? What? Let me see!" I practically begged.

"No way, Ino. You're just going to have to wait and see this one on your own!" Sakura smiled, shaking her head at me. "And you really shouldn't let your phone automatically log into your accounts for you, especially if you're going to be around Naruto for a while." I looked over at Naruto, who was sitting back in his chair with a goofy smile on his face.

"Am I going to want to kill you when I see this?" I asked him.

"Maybe… But I know you won't," he winked at me.

After dinner, Sakura dropped me off at my home. After saying my goodbyes to her and my greetings to my parents, I bounded up the stairs and into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me. I didn't even bother taking off my shoes before walking over to my desk and opening my laptop. When the damn thing finally turned on, I hastily logged into Facebook. My notifications popped up and I read _Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and 72 other friends like your picture. _Panicking at the number of people who had already seen the post,I clicked to my Wall and looked at the very top post. I clicked to enlarge the image. A smile grew on my face as I looked at the picture Naruto had taken just a few hours ago. It was of him and me, of course, while I was trying to grab my phone back from him. It was a lot better than I thought it would be. A whole lot better, actually.

To someone who wasn't there, the photo looked like the two of us were out at dinner together, and held the camera up together to snap the photo. But in reality, I was laughing at him to give the phone back and not actually holding the phone with him, but reaching for it to take it back. Somehow Naruto had taken the picture at the perfect moment, and I leaned back in relief, and felt a little awestruck. No, I definitely _didn't _want to kill Naruto for posting the picture. In fact, I wanted to kiss him for it!

I got back on the computer and scrolled down, my smile growing even wider when I saw the caption Naruto had written for our photo: _I LOVE YOU, NARUTO!. _


	8. Chapter 8: Alien Thoughts

**Chapter 8: Alien Thoughts**

_Sakura's POV_

I took a deep breath, breathing in the sweet smell of flowers mixed with sunlight. The four of us, Ino, Naruto, Sasuke, and me, were chilling out in the resident's center on the roof of Haruno Tower. When acquiring the building, my parents had worked with the contractors to dig in a pool and connecting Jacuzzi. Although it was supposed to be open-air, for safety reasons the whole roof had to be encased with glass. It was as close to totally open as they could get passed with the city, but no one really minded the glass walls and ceiling. It let in the sun without the chilly breeze of high altitude. To make it seem more outdoors than it was, flowers and small palm trees had been planted along the outskirts of the space. Naruto, Sasuke, and I would hang out here often, and today we had brought Ino with us, seeing as she was part of the group now. It was a little oasis, located right above my penthouse.

The guys were in the water, whereas Ino and I opted to drink in the sun on poolside recliners. It was a simply beautiful day, much sunnier then the usual clouds and windy weather the city usually received from Mother Nature. I breathed out, loving the way the sun warmed up my relatively pale skin.

"Hey! Sasuke!" Naruto cried from one end of the pool. "Wanna race?"

"You're just asking to lose!" Sasuke called back from the other end. Naruto climbed out of the pool and trotted over to the Sasuke's side. Sasuke joined the blond at the edge of the pool, and both men leaned over, hands holding the edge, ready to jump.

"3…2…1… Go!" Naruto counted down. They dove into the water, both making an equally clean dive. I watched as they pounded their arms and rapidly kicked their legs, equally matched. They swam, back and forth, left to right. Towards the end of the race I sat up a bit more and lifted my sunglasses to rest at the top of my head to get a better look.

"You lose again, dobe!" Sasuke said, breathing hard.

"Dammit Sasuke, you could at least let me win in front of Ino!" Naruto shouted, playfully splashing the other guy. They proceeded to engage in an underwater wrestling match, as Ino turned to speak to me.

"Hey, Sakura. I've always been wondering, why don't you become an actress, what with your parents and all?" she asked.

"Well, why don't you have your parents sign you and come out with albums and singles every month or so?" I countered with a smile.

"Touche," Ino leaned farther back in her chair. "I feel like doing something…"

"Besides laying around?" I laughed. "Me too. How about some volleyball with the guys?" I suggested, gesturing to the sand pit in the far corner.

Ino's head perked up. "You guys fit a volleyball court up here? Damn! Let's go!" She motioned for me to stand up, tightening the straps of her swim suit. I did the same, calling out to the guys.

"Hey! Let's go play some volleyball!" I jogged over to the supply shed and opened it up. The volleyball poles, net, and ball were easy to find, but not so easy to carry. Struggling, I tried to lift one of the poles.

"Here, let me help you," I heard a deep voice say behind me, and instantly the weight of the pole fell off my shoulder. I looked behind me to see a smiling Sasuke. I returned his smile and turned back to the shed, grabbing the net and ball. As Ino helped me unroll the black tangled-up mess, Naruto and Sasuke dug the volleyball poles into the ground. When the net was all set up, it was time to choose teams.

"I'm with Naruto!" Ino said immediately with a big smile towards her teammate. "I'm sure you're the best player," she winked. Naruto showed no signs of discontent. In fact, he looked rather elated.

"Bring it on!" I shouted to them, then turning my own partner, "They're not going to score any points on us!" I said to Sasuke. I picked up the volleyball and served. It took a straight and true path over the net, right between the blonds on the other side.

"Got it!" Naruto dove and popped the ball up. Ino rushed to get right under the ball as Naruto got himself back up on his feet, ready to hit. She pushed the ball up and he jumped up then slammed the ball down to our side, but unfortunately for him Sasuke was already there, easily passing the ball over to me. I lifted my hands and gently set the ball for my teammate, who was already approaching. He jumped up and spiked the ball, which landed at the baseline of the other team's side, a kill.

Excited, I jumped up to high-five Sasuke, with what was probably a huge grin on my face. "ALL RIGHT!"

"Hah! We'll get you next point." Ino stuck her tongue out at me. "Nice set, by the way."

"Thanks, you too!" I called back. Behind me, Sasuke served the ball. Ace. He served again. Ace. He served one more time and Ino was able to pop it up to Naruto, who set it. Her hand solidly contacted the ball and with a flip of her wrist, was sent straight down into the sand on our side of the court.

"I didn't know you played volleyball!" I gave her a high-five.

She backed up with the ball to serve. "Hah! That's the thing! I've never played before!" She called over to me, then served.

We were starting to get a crowd now, mostly tenants who lived in the building: middle-aged men and women with their teenagers and young children. They sat around, watching from their seats and from inside the pool, choosing a team and cheering them on.

Somehow Ino and Naruto had caught up and passed us. The score was 24-23, and they were winning. Knowing they only needed one more point to win, I had a mini-huddle with Sasuke. We stood close, with our backs to the blonds, discussing strategy.

"Let's tip this one. Ino's pretty good at digging my hits and Naruto's never been bad at it either," Sasuke said to me. I agreed and we got back into our positions. Naruto served the ball over to our side and Sasuke easily got up for me to set. I set it nice and high, a set no professional volleyball player could pass up and not slam with all their might. The other team must have sensed this, as they backed up and dug their feet into the sand, ready for a hard hit to come their way. Sasuke jumped up, pulling his arm back. It was almost slow-motion for me, watching him reach the height of the ball and start the motion of spiking.

It did not happen as they, nor the crowd, had expected. Heck, it didn't even go the way I had expected! Sasuke successfully tipped the ball, sending it dropping to their side. _That_ had gone according to plan, but what happened next didn't. Somehow Naruto had gotten back up to the net, jumped up, and blocked the ball! It bounced off his fingers and back over to our side, our strategy backfiring on us.

Both Sasuke and I turned around and dove. Being smaller, I landed in the sand first, Sasuke falling on top of me. From the corner of my eye I saw the ball hit the sand, then heard Naruto and Ino's victory cheers, as well as the crowd's. But I only heard them for the second, because while Sasuke was above me, everything else tuned out. I couldn't help but think, _Thank God he's been lifting weights with Naruto!_ If it wasn't for his upper body strength holding him up, I could have been crushed under his weight.

My relief at being unharmed led way to something else. I realized just how close we were, and all I could hear, or feel, was my heart pounding in my chest. I didn't think it was pounding that hard from the game. I looked straight into his deep, dark eyes, eyes that I knew so well, because, hey, he was my best friend, wasn't he? His damp hair framed his face and accentuated his flexed shoulder muscles, water dripping from the strands and a drop landing on my face.

After what felt like eternity, Sasuke smiled, reaching his hand up to wipe the water droplet from my cheek. He leaned back on his heels and reached a hand down to help me up. I felt a little dazed, but recovered and took his strong, steady hand. He released my hand to shake and high-five Ino and Naruto, who had found their way over to our side.

"Hah! We win!" Naruto yelled as the crowd dispersed, everyone going off to their own business.

"That's a first, dobe," Sasuke said with a grin to the other boy.

Accepting it, Naruto replied, "Well, maybe I suck, but I couldn't have done it without Ino here," he put his arm around Ino's shoulders, who laughed.

"Hey, don't say that. You're hits were all solid!" she poked his chest.

Naruto smiled at her comment. "Hey, teme, think we should get changed after we help them with the net?"

Sasuke looked down at himself and at Naruto, then nodded. Both guys had sand sticking to them all over from heading to the sand pit straight after getting out of the pool. They each grabbed a net pole and placed it inside the shed.

"Don't get any sand on the rug!" I called to them as they entered the elevator lobby. Naruto held his thumb up at me in acknowledgement before the door closed behind him.

I bent over to pick up the volleyball net, Ino helping me roll it up again. "That was so much fun!" I said wistfully.

"Sure was," Ino smirked.

"What's with that smile?" I asked her, suspicious.

"What happened over there?" She questioned, referring to the simultaneous diving Sasuke and I pulled off.

"Ummm we dove at the same time…?" My sentence slipped into a question.

"It looked like a whole lot more than that!" Ino teased.

"What do you mean? He fell on me, then got right back up… Didn't he?" I chastised myself for not being more sure.

"Hon, lemme tell ya, if he wanted to, he could've gotten off of you like _that_," she snapped he fingers. I took the time to put away the net as a time to think.

"Okay, fine. What did it look like to you, then?" I asked her as we walked over to our abandoned recliners, grabbing our towels, sandals, and sunglasses.

"Well, for one, there looked like there was a lot going on. Are you sure you can't see him as more than a friend?" She stopped walking and looked at me sternly.

I hesitated. "Sasuke's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. It's…. It's almost alien to think of him any different." And yet, I found myself starting to think that way.

Ino laughed, "You should start thinking alien then. You should start listening to my good friend Katy—"

"PERRY?" I interrupted.

"—yes, Katy Perry, my parents signed her, duh. Anyway, _E.T._ is about aliens and—"

"HOLY CRAP YOU KNOW KATY PERRY?" I bobbed up and down on my toes.

"That's not the point!" Ino shook her head at me, and I calmed down, nodding at her to continue. "My point is, maybe you should consider Sasuke as something more than a friend. I'm pretty sure he's already thought of you as something more, from the way he was looking at you over there."

I thought about her words the whole elevator ride down to my floor. When we walked into my living room, the guys were sitting there, having evidently raided my pantry for the snacks, which were lying everywhere. Even while I chased Naruto around the penthouse, scolding him for making a mess on my rugs and hearing sounds of "sorry Sakura-chan, I'll clean it, I'm sorry, Sakura-chan, I mean it!" I wasn't fully into it. My mind was still back to that moment in the sand and Ino's interpretation of Sasuke's actions. Was this the start of something new?


	9. Chapter 9: A Boy's Birthday

**Chapter 9: A Boy's Birthday**

_Konohamaru's POV_

I turned on the T.V.

"Konohamaru Sarutobi, grandson of Hiruzen Sarutobi, governor of Konoha, celebrates his twelfth birthday tonight. In celebration of this event, a banquet will be held later tonight at Sarutobi Mansion, the residence of the governor himself, in West Konoha Hills. The guest list includes—" the T.V. was abruptly shut off.

"HEY!" I whined, whipping my head around to see my nanny holding the remote. "What did you do that for?" I demanded, standing up on the couch I was sitting on to be eye level with the middle-aged woman.

"Konohamaru, it's time for you to get dressed. Guests are starting to arrive and your grandfather's quite upset that you're not down there to greet them. It's your party, remember?" She said to me patiently.

I crossed my arms. "Yeah… I know, but I was having fun watching them talk about me on T.V.! That doesn't happen every day you know."

"I've already got the whole telecast recording for you. Now come on, you have to get out there right away." She walked away and I had no choice but to follow her to my closet. She pulled out my newly tailored suit and left it on my bed for me to change into before walking out of my room. I put the shirt, jacket, bowtie, and trousers on. Looking in the mirror, I realized how much more mature I looked in the nice outfit, as opposed to the sweatpants and t-shirt that I always had on.

Like most of the events my family hosted, regardless of the occasion, it was always a dinner, banquet, or some other formal event like that. Men came in tuxedos and fine Italian shoes and women wore long dresses and put their hair up with shiny pins. They started to get boring for me about three of these "parties" ago. I secretly hoped that my grandfather would consider my complaints this time and invite some younger people that I could hang out with, especially since it was _my_ birthday party.

"Konohamaru, are you done changing?" My nanny asked from the other side of the door.

"Yes." I called back. The door knob twisted and she walked in, holding a pair of leather shoes. She set them down in front of my feet and stood behind me in the mirror. She was dressed up for the occasion too, wearing a long blue dress with a conservative neckline and sleeves. While the door was open I could hear an orchestra playing downstairs.

"Oh, you've grown up so much. I can remember when you were just a little boy!" She said. Was she actually tearing up?

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I said, moving forward to put on my shoes. I felt uncomfortable around crying females. "Alright let's go." I stood up straight, fixing my bowtie one last time before walking out of the bedroom. I went down the stairs into the foyer, which was starting to fill up with people. I recognized a few from previous events my grandfather held, and politely said hello to them as I walked past.

I eventually reached my grandfather who was standing at the door, greeting guests.

"Oh, there you are, Konohamaru," he said, grabbing me by the shoulders and having me stand in front of him. "Ah! Hello and welcome! Meet my grandson, Konohamaru, the young man who we are celebrating tonight!" Grandfather introduced me to a couple, who I shook hands with. That's how things went for another 45 minutes. I was starting to lose track of how many people's hands I had shook, when I heard a familiar voice.

"Konohamaru, my boy!" Uncle Asuma patted my head.

"Hey!" I gave my uncle a hug. "I haven't seen you in forever! You don't visit anymore!" I accused of him, laughing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Things have been really busy for the KIA these days. By the way, you remember your Aunt Kurenai, don't you?" He asked, gesturing to the dark haired woman next to him.

"Of course I do!" I said, then greeted her. Both Uncle Asuma and Aunt Kurenai worked for the KIA. That's where they met and fell in love. They eventually married and still stayed as loyal as ever to the Agency. _Maybe I'll be a KIA agent like them sometime._ I thought to myself as I watched my uncle and aunt mingle in the crowd. I didn't get to watch them for long though, because the next guests had arrived and I had to do my duty as host and greet them.

Eventually I was allowed to go do my own thing, once my grandfather was convinced that the majority of the RSVPs had arrived, and that everyone who came after that was late. I wandered into the kitchen, snacking off the hors d'oeuvres before the waiters came to pick them up and circulate them throughout the crowd. From my seat I had a good view of the front door, which was the only condition my grandfather set upon letting me out of his sight. "Make sure you keep an eye on the door, just in case anyone important comes late so you can greet them properly." He had told me. I was beginning to find it a little sad that I wasn't having any fun at my own party. _I'm definitely going to have to change that next year. _I told myself. Maybe I could host my own party, just for my friends and me, with good music instead of a lame string quartet or whatever it was called that was playing in the other room.

Hearing a noise at the door, I turned my head, waiting to see if it was someone I needed to welcome. My grandfather's butler opened the door and watched as two men and a woman who I had never seen before stepped inside.

The first guy was blond, wearing just a long-sleeved dress shirt tucked into black slacks. He was relatively tall, about 5'11'', about six inches taller than me. The next guy had dark hair as black as ink, and was wearing pretty much the same thing, except with a formal jacket added to his outfit, making him look a little more fit for the occasion then his company, even though he held it over his shoulder and wasn't actually wearing it.

My eyes passed over the two men, and landing on the lady who had walked in with them. She was wearing a nice dress, beige in color and relatively tight-fitting. It looked like someone had tastefully wrapped bandages around her body. A bandage dress, as Aunt Kurenai had once told me. She had paired strappy golden high heels with the outfit, and was holding a golden purse that matched her shoes. After digesting what she was wearing, my gaze fell upon her unusual pink hair. It was long and flowy, light waves cascading down her back. She had pinned her bangs back, giving a nice view of her beautiful face. I noticed she had large, round bright green eyes. I was swept off my feet; she was stunning. And somebody I absolutely had to meet.

I quickly found me grandfather in the crowd, whispering to him, "Some more people are here."

He hastily disengaged himself from the conversation he was previously in and went with me to the front door, where the three new arrivals were still standing.

"Hello! Welcome to Sarutobi Mansion! Please, come inside!" My grandfather called to them as we approached.

"Thank you!" The pink haired girl said as she shook Grandpa's hand.

"Please meet my grandson, Konohamaru. His is the birthday we're celebrating tonight. Konohamaru, this is Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki," I recognized the names my grandfather said. "They're parents couldn't make it tonight, so they are here, representing them in their place. But we're glad to welcome you to our banquet, please, come in! Come in!" My grandfather seemed to be upping his enthusiasm a notch. Those must have been some powerful people these three were representing.

"Pleased to meet you," I said to them as I shook their hands.

"Alright, alright, Konohamaru, why don't you show them around? I'll be speaking with some colleagues over there, if you need me." My grandfather walked away.

I turned back to the pretty lady and her friends. "Well, as you can see in front of us, we've got the banquet room and kitchen to the right. No one's allowed upstairs, and this is pretty much all that's downstairs, so yeah." I put my hands in my pockets.

The three walked further into the house and I followed. The blond one turned back to me. "Got a backyard?" he asked me.

"Yeah." I started walking through the crowd to get to the other side of the vast room. I opened the glass doors and led the way out onto the stone deck. The lawn lights were turned on, lighting up the backyard. It was more like a field actually, with a gigantic deck that extended partly through the nicely mowed grass. There was a shed in the far corner, where the gardeners kept their things. The sprinkler system was also located behind that shed. Standing there, looking out into the grass, and I remembered when I would turn on the sprinklers and run through them. The lawn was so large that my grandfather had had the contractors install golf-course-sized sprinklers. They shot far and hard, delivering water to every inch of the yard, including all the rosebushes and maple trees we had lining the space. Of all the places in the mansion, this was my absolute favorite.

"Awesome. A chance to get away from all the old people and their old people talk." The blond boy sighed, leaning over the deck's railing and looking up into the night sky.

"Naruto, you really shouldn't say that in front of our host," the woman with pink hair, Sakura, as my grandfather had called her, scolded. I looked back to the dark haired guy, who hadn't said much since I met them. He didn't seem to mind Naruto, and was looking at Sakura instead. I felt a little bit of jealousy flare inside of me. How could he be looking at her like that? Both Naruto and Sakura herself seemed oblivious to Sasuke.

Instead of saying something to his gorgeous friend, Naruto turned to me. "Well, you're probably not enjoying this party either, huh? You're granddad do this a lot? Throw big boring parties for his old friends instead of for your friends?"

He understood exactly how I felt. "Yes! Exactly!"

Naruto turned to Sakura. "See, Sakura-chan, he doesn't care! I have an idea, how about we do something, Konohamaru? Have anything we can play with?"

"Um, yeah. We've got some equipment in the shed." I said hesitantly.

"Alright! C'mon, let's go!" He jogged down the stairs and through the grass to the shed, and I had to follow. I didn't need this hyper dude running around, screwing up the house or anything else, right?

I pressed the numbers into the lock's keypad, clicking it open. Naruto wandered around inside, checking out the shelves of gardening tools and sports equipment, which was labeled by sport. He quickly made his way to the bin labeled _Football_ and reached inside, pulling out the almond-shaped ball. "You're on your school's team right?"

"Hmm," I grunted in response.

"Alright! Let's see what you've got!" He ran outside, motioning for me to follow him. Deciding that there was really nothing else to do, I joined him on the grass. I glanced up at the deck and saw that Sasuke had moved to the railing next to Sakura. She had her arms crossed in front of her and smiling and shaking her head at something he said. For a split second my heart did a flip as I imagined her shaking her head at him in rejection. But then she laughed after he told her something, I was too far away to hear what, and I realized that she wasn't turning him down, to my dismay.

"Oi, get ready!" Naruto called. I turned my attention back to him. Maybe this was my chance to impress the pinky?

He threw the ball in a high arc and it landed right in my arms. Getting competitive, I dashed towards him. He held back, pushing me back slightly. We struggled like that, back and forth, neither one of us gaining on the other.

I was starting to get frustrated until a voice called from behind me, "Hey, Naruto! You're losing to a 12 year old!" I lost my concentration for a second and looked up at the source of the voice. Sakura was standing there, leaning over the railing and smiling at me. Her smile was dazzling. It was the sight of an angel, except for the fact that Sasuke was standing next to her, tainting the image.

"Oof," I choked out when Naruto tackled me.

He smiled. "I know Sakura's pretty and all, but keep your head in the game, Kono!" I gave him a face and walked the ball away from him. I threw the ball to him, not as good as a throw as I was hoping, but Naruto was able to run and catch it anyway. Now it was my turn to defend as the blond guy came running at me. We grappled and I was able to bring him to the ground this time.

We played this two-man football for another half an hour until Uncle Asuma came out to the deck. He recognized Naruto and called us over to talk. They talked about Naruto's father and mother, who used to be KIA agents like he is. I didn't really have a place in their conversation, so while I pretended to speak with them, I eavesdropped on Sasuke and Sakura's conversation from the deck railing, where they were still standing together.

"So where's Ino tonight?" I heard him ask her.

"I'm not sure, but she said she had a family thing. I wish she could be here, though," Sakura sighed. "I was so used to her being around."

"Hn." Sasuke replied. What kind of reply was that? I know that if anyone did that to me I would instantly drop the conversation and walk away. This guy was probably a drag to talk to, Sakura wouldn't be able to keep up a conversation with him!

I was wrong. "Ino thinks that I should cut my hair. She told me that it was getting too long." She ran her fingers through her pretty hair and sighed. _I wish I could touch her hair_ I thought. "What do you think?" She turned to the black haired man to allow him a thorough look at her hair.

He didn't seem to take much time considering. "I think Ino's a fool." He pinched a lock of her hair between his fingers. "Don't cut it." A light blush covered Sakura's cheeks.

"Don't her or Naruto hear you say that..." was Sakura's response.

"Excuse me, I'll go put the football away now," I excused myself from Naruto and Uncle Asuma. I quickly made my way over to the abandoned football on the ground and went to the shed, throwing the football in there.

I glanced back at the deck and saw Sakura's and Sasuke's silhouettes. They were facing each other now, and Sasuke's hand was still awfully close to her face. I felt multiple things at once: jealousy and frustration mingled with anger. I knew it was absolutely unnecessary, but I reached inside the shed to the small panel of switches and dials and flipped the master switch, activating the sprinklers located closest to the mansion.

The sprinklers popped up, spraying water all over the deck. I regretted drenching Uncle Asuma, Naruto, and Sakura- especially Sakura, in her flattering dress - but not so much Sasuke. I hid behind the shed, watching my grandfather's butler handing a towel to Sakura, then rushing back inside to get more.

I felt a little glad that I had stopped anything from happening between Sakura and Sasuke, but then anger again as I watched Sasuke take advantage of the moment and take the towel from Sakura's hands, settling it over her body, then putting his arm around her shoulders and leading her inside.

I guess nothing was going to get between those two.

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><p><strong>Wha-hoh sorry that was kind of an abrupt POV switch :) I just wanted to try something new! Please let me know how it went for you guys, but I'm <em>probably<em> not going to pull the spotlight from Ino, Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura again hah.**

**Thank you for reading! ~ Shreedin  
><strong>


	10. Chapter 10: Bliss

**To all you SasuSaku lovers out there... ENJOY!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10: Bliss<strong>

_Sakura's POV _

"Hey, Sasuke, I'm going to need some help," I said warily into my phone while looking out the window. Fifty stories below there was a swarm of paparazzi, and I could only imagine what the building was doing to keep them off the property.

"Alright, I'm on my way." We hung up and I ran a hand through my hair, stressed. I looked around the room in dismay then shook my head and focused. Ino wondered why I didn't become an actress... Well, one part was that, quite frankly, the paparazzi overwhelmed me. Most people would be flattered, but I felt plain anxious just by their mere presence, and not in a good way.

I grabbed one of my large bags, threw some clothes and shoes into it, then changed into street clothes. I put on skinny jeans, a light camisole, a baggy off-the-shoulder grey sweater, and slouch boots. I made sure to also put on a pair of huge sunglasses. "It's all about looking like you want them there," my mother once told me. "No matter how much you want them gone, make sure you always look just right for the cameras. It helps your image, which helps your sanity."

I held a remote up to my window-wall, making the blinds fall from the ceiling to the ground, completely blocking any view in or out of the glass. Satisfied, I replaced the remote, grabbed my things, then walked out of my penthouse, being sure to lock everything up. I wasn't planning to come back until the cameras were gone.

When I stepped out of the elevator the building attendant immediately rushed up to me. "Miss Sakura, we're so sorry, we're doing our best to keep them out but the law only goes so far as to keep them out of the building. It doesn't keep them from doing _that_," he indicated the entrance. I grimaced at the sight. Lights were flashing everywhere and it was starting to give me a headache. I could hear faint shouts too, calling my name from the other side of the glass.

"Can they see me right now?" I asked.

"No, Miss, the windows are tinted from the outside. They can't see a thing."

"That's a relief," I took off my shades and rubbed the bridge of my nose. My phone vibrated in my hand and I looked at the text that was displayed: _I'm down the block, walking up now._

I put my sunglasses back on. "Well, wish me luck."

"Good luck, Miss Sakura!" the attendant called after me as I made my way to the door. Pushing it open, I remembered to keep my head high and locked up my phobia. The flashing bulbs got to me, and for a second I just stood there, being forced to drink it all in.

I was brought back to reality by Sasuke, who was making his way past the shouting cameramen to get to me. I walked down the steps of the building, meeting him at the bottom. He put his arm around my shoulders and hustled me past the paparazzi, who followed. We didn't speak for a few more seconds as we reached his black Mercedes CL 65 AMG.

He got into the driver's seat and I practically collapsed into the passenger seat next to him, plopping my bag down on my lap. "Sasuke, you are my hero, I swear."

"What happened?" Sasuke asked patiently as he sped down the street, getting us farther and farther away from the paparazzi with each second.

"My parent's script got leaked!" I groaned.

"That's unfortunate. Will it ruin their film?"

"Probably not. My mom told me that it was one of three they prepared and were going to choose from to use in the next project. But the good news is that whoever leaked it leaked the one they had already ruled out."

"That's good. Why would the paparazzi be following you?"

I turned in my seat to face him. "See, that's the whole thing! I don't even know why they would be going after me when they could bother the actors or screenwriters or whoever else! I just don't get it."

Sasuke reached a hand out and ruffled my hair. "Well, good news. They're probably not going to follow you for the rest of today. I'll make sure of that."

I sighed, reaching to turn on the radio. "Thanks, Sasuke," I said, and sincerely meant it.

We reached Sasuke's building within five minutes. When we walked into his loft, I sat down on his couch, placing my bag next to me. Then I thought of something, and turned my upper body around to face him. "Sasuke, quick, what am I thinking?" I grinned.

"Hmm, you want to escape?" he set his keys down on the console table next to the door and hung up his coat.

I stood up, walking around the couch to follow him into his kitchen, taking a seat on a barstool.

"Yup!"

"And what were you thinking of for this getaway?"

"Well... How about we go trail running? Nature's as good as a true escape, isn't it?"

He laughed. "Alright."

I smiled and jumped off the stool, walking back out to the living room to grab clothes from my bag. I went into the powder room and changed into a ribbed tank and running shorts. Checking my reflection in the mirror, I pulled my hair back into a high ponytail, then threw on a light windbreaker to ward off the chill.

"Ready to go?" Sasuke asked me as I walked out of the powder room. He had on running shorts and a windbreaker like mine, hands in his pockets.

I nodded. We walked out the door, took the elevator down to the resident parking garage, and got back into his car. I was a little fidgety the whole ride there, still fazed from the paparazzi encounter.

We drove along a winding road once we got closer to the nature reserve. Eventually we parked in a small parking lot hidden by trees, one of the many scattered around the park.

"Where are we running today?" Sasuke asked as I did a few leg stretches, warming up.

"Let's take that trail that goes along the river. I really like that one."

"Yes ma'am," Sasuke smiled at me. We jogged in about 1.5 miles on flat trail. The sun was coming out; it was promising a nice, warm day. The flat trail ended at a grove and the trail split into three. Sasuke and I took the one on the very right, which ran along a small creek. The incline became more dramatic and I started to breathe harder, pumping my legs and easily keeping up with Sasuke despite him having the advantage over me, what with the longer legs and all.

We only paused once during our run to the top, taking that time for me to remove my windbreaker and for Sasuke to take off his shirt. When he lifted the fabric over his head and bundled the shirt up then stuck it in the waistband of his running shorts, I couldn't help it. I admired his strong, muscular arms and defined chest, wondering why I had never noticed how good looking my friend was. He seemed to notice me semi-checking him out, because when my eyes returned to his face he raised his eyebrow suggestively at me. Laughing, I whipped his side lightly with my windbreaker then started running again. He quickly caught up to me and we fell into step with each other, making our way past other hikers and joggers.

We reached the top after about five and a half miles of uphill running. "The top" was actually a plateau of sorts, a flat bit of land at the top of the mountain. There were no trees up here, giving us a view of the entire city. It was a dazzling sight.

"I bet it looks better at night," Sasuke said, sitting down next to me on the only bench located at this vista point. "When the lights are all on, I mean."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right. I can't believe these hills are so close. It always seems like nature's so far away when you're in the city."

"Mmm. Look, I can see Haruno Tower," Sasuke pointed to one of the many tall buildings in Upper Konoha.

I shivered. "I wonder if those paparazzi are still there."

"I'm sure they've left by now, since they saw you leave. They'd have no reason to stay," he said to me. I smiled up at him in response, then looked out to the city again.

"Thank you," I breathed.

"For what?" He asked quizzically.

"For everything. Being my prince in shining armor this morning… For going on this run with me… Just everything."

To my surprise he put his arm around me. Immediately after the skin of his arm touched my shoulders, my whole body warmed up. I turned my head away a little to hide my slight blush. "You don't have to thank me for anything, Sakura. You know I'm always here for you, if you want me."

Recovering, I turned my head back to face him. He was looking directly at me and I felt shy and couldn't meet his eyes, so instead I opted to look down at his collarbone. "Of course I want you…" My cheeks grew hot as I realized what I had just said. "Sasuke, I'm sorry I—"

"Don't apologize. I understand," Sasuke laughed slightly, then held me closer. We sat on that bench like that for a while, my head resting on his chest with his arm around me. I was glad that we didn't move for a while. It gave me some important time to think about what was happening.

Was… Was I really doing this? Was I really getting this close to Sasuke? I tried to imagine life with Sasuke as something other than my best friend. My brain couldn't come up with anything, seeing as I had never considered it before that day on the roof of my parents' building. Ino had told me to go for it. I had held back in my mind. But sitting here with Sasuke at the top of a mountain felt so… right for some reason. I was kind of shocked by how perfect it was. He smelled like good 'ole Sasuke, my best friend. Sasuke, my level-headed buddy. Sasuke, the guy who saved me from the paparazzi. Sasuke, the guy who I was starting to fall for.

Tires screeched in my head. Fall for? Did I really just think that? I was definitely not falling in love with Sasuke….. right? … But what was this feeling inside me? Why did I say that I wanted him? How come I never considered him as more than a friend before? Why did I feel so confused? I needed a chance to work out my changing feelings.

Trying not to break the moment, I tilted my head up slightly. "Sasuke?"

"Hm?" He tilted his head down to look at me and I realized just how close our faces were. I didn't think I had ever been that close to him before.

"Can I spend the night at your place tonight? I don't want to go back home; I just can't do that to the building staff. They were busy enough as is, and holding off the camera guys was a huge deal and—"

"Of course you can stay over. You don't even have to have a reason to ask," he grinned at me. I had to look away again to hide my blush. I shouldn't have rambled. It's not like I'd never crashed at his loft before. Why did I feel the sudden need to have to explain myself? I've never had to explain myself to Sasuke before. He just kind of… got me.

I stood up, Sasuke doing the same. "Ready for the run down?" I asked him, returning to my normal, confident self.

"Born ready," was his cheesy reply. I mock punched him in the arm before we started jogging again. Going downhill was always my favorite part. It wasn't running so much as flying. Instead of pushing myself up, my legs were catching my body as gravity did its work.

We made it down the mountain in half the time it took to go up it and then jogged the flat trail 1.5 miles back to the car.

"Damn, that felt good," I panted, taking up the passenger seat. Sasuke put his shirt on again before getting into the driver's spot and starting the car.

While on the highway, I tapped my fingers to the beat of the latest Eminem song on the black leather interior of the car.

We made it back to Sasuke's pad and I was glad to discover that there were no swarms of cameramen outside of his loft. _I really have to stop being so paranoid about that._ I thought to myself as Sasuke unlocked his door, motioning for me to step inside before him.

"I'm going to shower," I announced, walking down the hallway, pulling the elastic out of my hair. In the guest bathroom, I started the water and opened up the cabinet under the sink, pulling out some of my spare shampoo I kept there, just for times like this. I stripped and stepped under the hot water, washing away all the sweat and dirt from the trail running.

I sighed as my muscles untwined from the heat of the water, then reluctantly shut it off. Grabbing a towel from the towel rack just outside the shower door, I stepped out and dried myself. I wrapped it around my body and ran my fingers through my hair. Deciding that it needed to be blow dried, I plugged in a blower and dried my hair. Once I was changed into the clothes I had worn earlier that day, I walked out of the bathroom and into the living room.

Sasuke wasn't anywhere around, so I went over to his computer desk and sat down, logging into the Guest profile and pulling up Facebook. I was typing in a reply to a private message when a voice in my ear startled me.

"Hey there," Sasuke said huskily in my ear, making me jump and turn around abruptly.

"Holy shit, Sasuke, you scared me!" I was breathing hard, trying to calm down. He chuckled softly and that was when I noticed he was only wearing a towel around his waist, having showered at the same time I was. My eyes grazed over his six-pack, glanced at his defined arms, then my eyes met his. He was smirking, obviously seeing the previous direction of my eyes.

Blushing, I stood up and put my hand on his chest to push him away. I was about to put some weight into it until something very unexpected happened. Sasuke raised his own hand and held it over mine, keeping my hand on his chest. My heart began to accelerate and I knew that I should have said some witty remark or laughed or something, but all that came out was "uh".

A heavy blush started to form across my face and I titled my head down, pink hair falling across my eyes. With his other hand, Sasuke brushed back my hair and lifted my head up to his. My eyes flicked to his lips as he began to lean in. I didn't panic, but started to lean in too.

We were so close, so close. Our breaths were beginning to intertwine as we brought our heads closer together. We teased, pulling back slightly right when the other was going in, building up the mood. His hands moved down to my waist, holding me there. The hand I had on his chest snaked up his shoulder and met my other hand around his neck. I had to get up on my tiptoes a little bit to do this, which brought us even closer together.

Right before I thought I would blow up or go crazy, Sasuke's and my lips connected. At first it was just a brush of skin, then it deepened into something more. We shared several sweet, soft kisses. All the while I was thinking, _Am I really doing this? Kissing Sasuke? _It had never, ever, been something I considered. But as I was doing it now, I realized it felt _right. _I didn't feel shy around him, whispering his name against his lips and feeling them curve up in a smile. I traced little circles on his back, and he pulled away, disconnecting our bodies except for our intertwined fingers. We stood facing each other, the sunset streaming in from the window, covering Sasuke and me in a dark, warm light.

"When?" Was all I was able to whisper.

"Three days ago, on your roof. Then again last night, at the gala," he smiled down at me. That was all I needed to hear. I pushed him up against his desk, taking charge. I brought his face down to mine, our lips meeting. My tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip, asking to be let in. He easily complied and our kiss became hotter. My hands trailed up and down his chest and abs, reacting to the movement of his own hands, which were tangled up in my hair.

Needing breath, we broke apart and Sasuke moved his mouth to my neck, trailing kisses down my shoulder. I sighed in contentment, eyes closed. I felt Sasuke's lips move back up my neck then he pulled back.

Sasuke moved his face right in front of mine, looking me right in the eyes. I could see so many things in them, desire, awe, amusement, and something deeper than that. I was about to kiss him again when Sasuke's home phone rang loud and clear through the loft.

Laughing at his pissed-off look, I reached behind him and unhooked the phone from the console on the desk. "Hello, Sasuke Uchiha's residence," I said, all secretary-like.

The person on the line said something that I didn't catch because at the same time Sasuke was kissing my neck again, whispering, "You're one sexy secretary," against my skin, causing my vision to blur a bit and my mind to go haywire for a second.

"Sorry, could you please repeat that?" I said into the phone, hoping my voice sounded normal, despite how tingly Sasuke was making me.

_"I saaaaid, 'Cool, you're at Sasuke's already, can we come over?'"_ the voice said impatiently.

I was mightily distracted by the nipping thing Sasuke was doing to my earlobe. "Uhhhh, who is this?"

_"You don't even recognize my voice? Sakura, it's Ino! You sound… You know what, Naruto and I are already on our way over there. See you soon,"_ she hung up.

Sasuke sighed and moved to the side so I could replace the phone back on its dock. "Ino and Naruto are coming over," I said to him. "Maybe you should put on some clothes." I smirked, letting my eyes rake over his body one last time, not bothering to be discreet about it anymore.

"Well, you don't sound like you really want me to…" He trailed off, pulling me close. I laughed and slapped his arm playfully.

"You're right, I don't, but for the sake of your guests you should probably cover up."

He sighed and let me go. I returned to the computer to finish typing my message into Facebook and he walked towards his room. After sending the message, I logged out and stood up, walking over to the window that looked out to the street. Right then, about three blocks down, I saw an orange Lamborghini zoom down the street. It weaved recklessly down the busy city street and turned into the driveway that led to the guest parking of this building.

I smiled and shook my head, thinking _Naruto's whipping out his big guns now!_ He rarely ever drove the thing, preferring to keep it in perfect condition inside his garage, only driving it to the most expensive parties and other places that required a sick ride. I loved showing up with him and Sasuke to those parties, making the biggest scene when we arrived in an orange Lambo as opposed to the cliché stretch limo, and driving ourselves rather than hiring a chauffeur. More class, more style.

I met them by the elevator. Through the glass I could see Naruto putting away his spare keycard into his pocket. The elevator could go straight up to Sasuke's loft, but only if it was presented with the right card. Sasuke had given the two of us spares a long time ago. I could also see Ino chatting next to him, but I couldn't hear what she was saying until the elevator chimed and the doors opened.

"—I love those doors! They're more like wings than doors, really—Oh hey Sakura! Don't you just love Naruto's Lambo? So much better than that silver Lexus he always drives around, don't you think?" she smiled at me, making me laugh.

"You sound like Naruto when he first bought it," Sasuke said, walking back into the living room from the hallway. I looked back at him, grateful to see that he was dressed in jeans and a button-down.

"Ahhhh!" Naruto sighed loudly as he plopped himself down on the couch. Sasuke joined him and they engaged in a conversation about guy stuff.

I turned to Ino. "Are you hungry?" I asked her.

"Yeah, kind of. I'm sort of craving pancakes. Is that weird?" She responded.

"You know, craving junk is a sign of pregnancy. Anything you and Naruto haven't been telling us?" I raised my eyebrow in mock suspicion.

Ino's eyes grew wide, and I was expecting a quip or remark or some witty comeback, but all she mumbled was, "Na… Naruto and I haven't…" She trailed off awkwardly. I took her by the shoulders and led her into the kitchen and sat her on a stool.

"Oh, Ino, you know I was just playing. So breakfast for dinner then?" I asked her, searching Sasuke's pantry to pancake mix. Ino nodded in reply.

"Guys, we're making pancakes, waffles, eggs, toast, and bacon for dinner, okay?" I shouted.

Instead of a reply, Naruto walked into the kitchen, Sasuke following then leaning coolly against the doorframe. "You're cooking, Sakura? Why don't we just go out?" Naruto asked, sitting himself next to Ino on a barstool.

I turned around from the pantry. "I don't really want to go outside… My parents' script got leaked this morning." I said in response.

"Yeah, and I had to rescue her from the paparazzi too," Sasuke added from the doorway. I twisted my hands uncomfortably behind my back.

"You're afraid of the paparazzi?" Ino asked me, wide-eyed.

"Like hell I am! They just…." Ino gave me a look. "Okay, fine I guess I am a little scared of them." Ino laughed. "Hey! They can do some scary shit! Hordes of paparazzi and their stupid cameras can trample you.. and.." I trailed off, turning back to the pantry. Ino just kept snickering.

I sighed, dropping the matter. I grabbed the box of pancake and waffle mix, then placed it on the counter. Naruto hopped off the stool and walked to the other side of the counter. "Here, Sakura-chan, let me help you."

"Thanks, Naruto, but I'm good. Pancakes are easy," I smiled at him. He smiled back and shrugged, then he and Sasuke walked back out to the living room. Ino got up off her chair and walked over to the stove, turning on the air vent to maximum power with a devilish grin. I wearily pulled out the ingredients and a mixing bowl, and started to add the ingredients together as Ino rested her arms on the counter, looking up at me sweetly.

"Sooooo," she began, "What's this between you and Sasuke now?"

"What do you mean?" I said levelly.

"I meaaan, what was going on before I called?"

"I don't know what you're talking about…?" I cursed myself for letting that turn into a question.

"Sakura, I could practically hear it in your voice. You two were getting dooown!" Ino laughed. I was suddenly glad that she had turned on the vent loud enough that it made it impossible for her voice to carry on to the other room.

I blushed. "Okay, fine, yeah, we were kissing." I conceded, whipping the batter a little more forcefully than I needed to. Why was it so difficult talking about it?

"Kissing… Or making out?" Ino asked with a glint in her eyes. She winked at me and did a little dance when I blushed deeper. "Ooooh! Sakura-chan! You guys are totally naughty!"

"Hey, it didn't go any farther than that!" I tried to defend.

"Oh, but if I hadn't called, it probably would've." That got me thinking. What _would_ have happened if Ino didn't call and her and Naruto didn't come over? Would Sasuke and I have gone further? "But anyway," she continued, "We're here now and I guess there's no turning back time. Oh well. Hey, want me to start making the waffles?"

"Yeah, sure," I said, distracted. We continued to make dinner for the four of us, making small talk about movies and music and fashion.

* * *

><p>"Oh, oh my God. I can't watch this," I said, covering my eyes with my hands. The four of us were watching a hardcore action movie in Sasuke's entertainment room after dinner. The main guy was about to have his brains blown out by the bad guy, who had infiltrated the good guy's base.<p>

Half an hour before, we were engaged in a heated argument over what were going to watch. It was Ino and me with _Burlesque_ (we wanted to watch mainly because Cam Gigandet was in it, man he was a _fine_ specimen of a man) versus the guys who wanted to watch the newest action movie that was scheduled to begin playing in theaters three days from now. We settled the row with an honest game of rock-paper-scissors, and the guys had won. So I called my parents and asked them to send me the unreleased movie, and they were able to hook me up with it.

It wasn't a bad movie, actually, and the suspense was soon over when the good guy was saved by the leading actress, a cliché timid-girl-gone-badass.

I snuggled closer to Sasuke, pulling up the blanket we shared up to my chin. Ino, sitting with Naruto on the other couch, saw my movement and winked at me with a small smile. I stuck my tongue out at her and focused on the movie again.

The credits rolled and I noticed Naruto check his phone for the time. "It's 2am. Wanna go back to my place?" He asked Ino.

"Mmm," she hummed and stood up with her boyfriend.

Naruto looked over to me, with a puzzled look as to why I was so close to Sasuke. "Sakura, I didn't see your car downstairs, do you want a ride back to the Tower?"

I shook my head. "No thanks, I actually think I'm staying here tonight. Thanks though!" I smiled at him. Naruto's frown deepened into confusion and a little suspicion.

We'll be leaving now," Ino shuffled Naruto towards the elevator. She stepped in with him and as their figures descended, she gave me a look saying _I'll clue him in _before they disappeared completely.

I stood up, reaching my arms over my head and stretching with a yawn. I walked to the dining room and started stacking up the dishes from dinner and bringing them over to the sink. About halfway there, Sasuke came up and took the stack from my hands, depositing them into the sink for me. "We'll worry about this tomorrow," he said, taking me hand and leading me to his bedroom. "You look exhausted."

"I am," I breathed out, then went over and sat on his bed. He lifted the covers and I slipped in, settling my head on the pillow. It smelled like him, and I breathed in deep, savoring his scent. He got in next to me, wrapping his arm around my waist and burying his face in my hair. I was too sleepy to blush.

"Gooooodnight." I sighed, then fell asleep to the sound of Sasuke's even breathing.


	11. Chapter 11: Dawn

**Chapter 11: Dawn**

_Sasuke's POV_

I woke up with my arms wrapped around a beautiful girl. I blinked a few times, waiting for the grogginess of morning to wear off and letting my eyes adjust to the light. The midday sun peered through the curtains of my bedroom, giving everything a bright glow. Suddenly all the events from the day before flooded back into my mind. Sakura calling for help. Sakura and I going for a run. Sakura and I kissing…

I took a deep breath, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. She smelled like cherry blossoms. Trying not to wake her, I sat up carefully. I obviously failed, because she stirred and began to speak.

"Good morning, Sasuke," she said slowly, battling sleep.

"Good morning. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up. Go back to sleep, Sakura," I leaned over and kissed her forehead lightly, stroking her hair. I smiled inwardly when I heard her sigh under my touch. I leaned back to leave the bed when something warm caught my wrist. Slightly startled, I looked back to see her hand holding my hand, tugging me closer.

"Don't go," Sakura murmured. "Stay…" I gave in, laying back down next to her. She yawned once, stretching her arms above her head. Afterwards, she looked at me with her huge green eyes. I reached a hand up to stroke the side of her face, loving the feel of her smooth skin. She closed her eyes and smiled. Then she wiggled closer to me so that our heads were on the same pillow, eyes at the same level.

"You're beautiful," I whispered, twirling my finger in a lock of her hair. Her eyes widened a bit and she blushed slightly. As almost an instinct, I kissed her rosy cheeks then moved my hand to the back of her neck, tilting her head up so that our foreheads touched. I breathed her in, feeling her pulse beating in her neck. I felt her heart rate rise significantly as I brushed my lips across her eyelids, then at the tip of her nose. It rose even further when I let our lips touch.

Sakura sighed, wrapping her arms around my neck and I moved my body so that I was on top of her. We did this without disconnecting our lips even once.

"Sasuke," she sighed my name against my open mouth, and I slipped my tongue in. Feeling adventurous, I reached my hand down to the hem of her camisole, raising it up. I left it there, and ran my hand along the toned skin of her stomach. She shuddered under me and I smiled, pulling back and looking in to her eyes. Slowly, I pulled her top up and over her head, revealing a lacy black bra. I drank in the sight of a topless Sakura underneath me. Overwhelmed, I kissed her again on the lips, then made my way down her neck, then to her collarbone, then to her chest. She arched her back and I took that chance to slip my hands under her, beginning to unhook her bra. Abruptly she flattened herself against the mattress and looked up at me with wide eyes. I panicked. Was I going to fast?

Her next words eased my worry. "Not yet, Sasuke. Your shirt has to go too," She whispered seductively, pointing to my chest. Wanting to get back to what I was doing, I quickly raised my arms, bringing my shirt up and over my head then discarding it to the floor.

"There," I said, going in for another kiss. Instead, she grabbed either side of my head with her hands and wrapped her leg around me. She then lifted all her weight up, flipping me over. The next thing I knew, she was straddling me with a smirk.

"Mmm, I like being on top much better," she said, turning me on. She put her hands on my chest, running her long fingers along my abdomen. She leaned over and our lips met in a heavy kiss. I reached my hands around her back, grabbing her bra clasp and undoing the first hook. I was working on the second when my house phone rang. Sakura sat up on my stomach, eyes wide.

"Ignore it," I told her, motioning for her to kiss me again. Instead, she looked around my room.

"But what if it's important?" she thought aloud, spotting the phone on my dresser then climbed off the bed to get it. I sighed, running a hand through my hair._ It better be an emergency_ I thought. Sakura answered my phone and I leaned back into the pillows, calming myself down from that heated make-out session that had just been so rudely interrupted.

"Naruto? What's up?" Of course it would be the Dobe that would call at such a time. Only he could pull something like that off. "Okay...Okay, we will….Okay, I'll tell him….Okay, bye," Sakura said into the phone then hung up. She climbed back over to the bed and sat cross-legged, facing me. She rested her palms on my stomach, feeling my chest rise and fall with every breath.

"What did he want?" I asked her.

"He said that he's having another party tonight. And he wants us to pick up some drinks for the open bar again," she said.

I closed my eyes and sighed once more, sitting up and getting out of the bed, giving Sakura a peck on her cheek. "I guess we have no other choice."

* * *

><p>"…Vodka, tequila, martini mix, I think we're all good, Sasuke," Sakura said to me after looking in our cart. She smiled up at me and I returned it with a grin of my own. We continued to walk around the store and I picked up on two little girls who were following us around.<p>

"Hey, Mei, look at the couple over there," the first girl said.

"Whoa, they look like celebrities!" the friend, Mei, replied. "Who do you think they are?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should ask for their autographs!" At that moment I turned my head around to look at them. I didn't give them any kind of look in particular, wanting to hear what they had to say. I looked down at Sakura next, and she was quietly smirking, obviously listening in on the two girls' conversation as well.

"Oh. My. God. That guy is _so cute_. Gosh, I'd kill to be that girl. Ahh," the first girl said.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. She is so lucky, and I bet she doesn't even know it!"

Sakura tilted her head closer to me and whispered, "Oh, I know it," then gave me a wink.

"MEI, DID YOU SEE THAT? She winked at her boyfriend!" The girls squealed.

"What's going on here?" A middle-aged woman asked, and I assumed it was one of their mothers. There wasn't much noise after that, but I could feel the weight of three pairs of eyes and imagined what was going on behind our backs. The girls were probably pointing in our direction, telling the woman their speculations about Sakura and me being superstars. Then the mom must have looked over and seen all the alcohol we had in our cart because she hastily ushered the girls away from our aisle, whispering reminders to them to never, ever drink until they were of age.

"May I have your autograph, O Famous One?" Sakura asked me after the girls had left, humbly handing over her phone. Playing along, I opened up a new memo page and asked who I should sign it to.

"Hmm," she hummed as she thought, "'To the lovely girl with pink hair, you are amazing and gorgeous, and I totally wish that Naruto hadn't called this morning and interrupted us, signed, Sasuke Uchiha."

Grinning, I typed in a short message into her phone and hit Done. I handed the phone back to her. "You didn't write what I told you to, did you," Sakura mumbled, pretending to be mad.

"Nope. Don't read it until Naruto's party tonight."

She put the phone into her back pocket, confused, and asked, "Why not?"

I turned to face her. "Just promise me you won't read that message until Naruto's party."

"O-okay. I promise," she said. The checkout line had cleared up by then and we piled up our purchase onto the moving belt. While ringing up our items, the clerk gave us a strange look, eyeing us suspiciously. When she told us the total and took my credit card, she asked to see my I.D. I gladly handed it over to her, and noticed when her eyebrows shot up after verifying that I was 21. She packed the bottles into bags and Sakura and I brought them out to my car.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for letting me stop by and change," Sakura stepped out into her living room, where I was sitting, waiting for her to put on her party clothes. She had changed into a tan leather jacket over a tight-fitting black dress that accentuated her curves. Finishing off her look were snake print pumps. I stood up, walking over to her. Even with the seven inch heels, she was still several inches shorter than me.<p>

"Of course. And you look wonderful, by the way," I whispered in her ear. "Don't break too many hearts tonight."

She laughed and walked around me towards the door, holding my keys out to me. "Let's get going, I promised Naruto and Ino that we'd be there early."

* * *

><p><em>Sakura's POV<em>

The pounding bass rumbled through my body and I shook my hips to the rhythm. I had been dancing with Ino, Tenten, and Temari for an hour since Naruto's party started. _Super Bass_ by Nicki Minaj blasted from the speakers.

"Sakura, wanna get another drink?" Ino shouted in my ear.

I did an inventory of my body, deciding that I would still be relatively sober even with one more drink. "Alright!" I replied, taking her hand and letting her lead me out of the crowd. We passed Naruto, who was with Neji and Kiba, and Ino leaned in for a quick kiss. I waved to my best friend and we continued to the bar.

"Two 'Skinny Girl's, please," Ino said to the bartender, leaning on the counter. She was wearing a cute top with a black miniskirt and red pumps.

"Love those shoes," I said to her. She looked down at her feet then smiled at me.

"I just got them! Aren't they adorable?"

I nodded, taking one of the two margaritas the bartender put in front of us. I took a sip and sighed, thinking about the day. I turned to Ino.

"Hey, I've got a funny story to tell ya!"

"What?" she asked.

"Well, Sasuke and I were at the supermarket before the party to stock the bar," I gestured to the bar we were currently at, "And there were these two little girls who were following us around and saying how cute we looked together and—" I dropped my sentence and my eyes grew wide, remembering something.

"What? What is it?" Ino asked, surprised by my sudden silence. I hastily placed my glass down and reached into my jacket pocket, pulling out my phone. I opened my Memos and pulled up the only one that was there.

Ino held her hand out, and I put my phone in her palm after reading the note. I watched carefully as Ino read, blue eyes growing huge. She started jumping around and squealing, returning my phone to me. "OH MY GOD! OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD SAKURA!"

Taking my phone back, I re-read the message slowly:

_Meet me in Naruto's guest bedroom –S._

I looked back up at an _EEEEEE_ing Ino, who then grabbed my shoulders and looked me right in the eyes. "Sakura. Sakura! Sakura. Are you there? SAKURA!"

"What..?" was all I could say. I was still in disbelief.

"Ok, tell me something first, does that _S_ stand for Sasuke?" she demanded.

"Um… Yeah. He took my phone earlier and told me to read the memo during the party… I forgot all about it until just now."

"Sakura…. You know what this means?"

"No…?" My mind felt unusually groggy.

"_Sakura. _Let me help you. Sasuke is waiting for you in Naruto's guest bedroom _right now_ and you're going to go meet him in there, got it?" Ino shook me a little bit.

"O-okay," I blurted. I took a sip from my margarita and the taste of alcohol snapped me out of it. _Sasuke is waiting for me in a bedroom. He's in there, and he's waiting for me to come._ I told myself. I started to smile.

"That's the spirit! Now go!" Ino said when she saw my lips curve up. She turned me around and pushed me lightly in the direction of the hallway. My confidence built back up with every click of my heels through Naruto's condo to the point where my head was high and a huge smile was present on my face.

I reached Naruto's guest bedroom and stood in front of the closed door. I fixed my dress and felt my hair to make sure it was behaving. Then I opened the door.

I stepped into the room, closing the door behind me. The loud music could still be heard through the walls, but was blocked enough for normal speech to be heard. "Sasuke?" I called, walking around the corner.

"Sakura, there you are. I was starting to think that you'd forgotten about the memo," Sasuke said. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding his phone. He put it away as he rose from his seat and walked over to me. With my heels on, I only came up to the base of his neck; damn, he was tall. And tall guys were _absolutely_ my type.

"Hey," Sasuke said softly, raising my chin to give me a kiss. He held the front of my jacket in his hands, sliding it off my shoulders then throwing it to the side. He broke the kiss, giving me a smile. Keeping hold of my hand, he walked over to the door and pressed the lock in.

When he looked back at me, I gave him a seductive smile. "Just what did you call me in here for?" I asked.

He returned my look with a seductive smile of his own. "To finish what we started," was his reply. Sasuke began walking towards me, and I stepped backwards, letting the electricity build between us. My back hit the wall and I smirked as he put his hands on the wall, on either side of me. He pressed his body up against mine, trapping me between him and the wall. I breathed out a laugh and wrapped my arms around his neck, looking into his onyx eyes. I brought his head close to mine, letting our lips touch.

"Mmm" he hummed against my mouth. I lifted one of my legs then wrapped it around his waist, kicking off my shoe in the process. I did the same with my other leg, attaching myself to Sasuke. He pushed me farther up along the wall and kissed me more passionately. "Ahh."

He moved his mouth to the pulse in my neck, kissing it softly. My heart rate rose rapidly when he lowered his hand and ran his fingers along my thigh. With the same hand, he pushed my already-riding-up dress further up my body, exposing more skin. He tickled my side, making me laugh softly.

Sasuke grabbed my feet from behind his back and untangled them, unwrapping them from his waist. I stepped back onto the ground. I moved away from Sasuke, holding the bottom of my dress. When I was about five feet away, I lifted the little black dress over my head, tossing it to the floor. Sasuke came up to me then, wrapping his arms around my waist, feeling the skin of my back. I leaned back a little to access the buttons of his shirt. I expertly undid them with one hand while the other was in the back pocket of his jeans. After slipping his shirt off, I ran my fingers along his torso, amazed at his muscularity. My fingers trailed over his finely defined abs and he shivered, bringing his mouth back onto mine. He picked me up and brought me over to the bed, laying himself over me. I broke the kiss immediately, giving him a look. He met my eyes with a questioning look. In answer I place me hands squarely on his chest, pushing him to the side on his back, then pounced on top of him.

"I think _this_ is where we left off," I said huskily, pulling his hands by his wrists to my back. Catching on, he set his fingers to work.

Things happened pretty quickly after that. My bra came off, his belt and jeans fell to the floor, then I wiggled out of my panties and he took off his boxers. This was probably the most pleasurable party I had ever attended.

* * *

><p>….. When it was over I lied against Sasuke, both of us tangled in the sheets. I had my ear right above his heart and listened to his steady heartbeat over the music coming from the party that was still raging on the other side of the door. He stroked my hair and traced patterns on the skin of my back. We didn't say much, preferring to bask in each other's presence. I was content with the idea of lying there with him for the rest of my life.<p>

"I love you, Sasuke," I said, looking at his face.

"I love you, Sakura," He replied, kissing my forehead.

"We should get up now…" I mumbled. We sat up and got out of the bed, putting our clothes back on. I was in the middle of getting my dress on when there was a sharp rap on the door and someone shouting on the other side to open up. I looked over to Sasuke, who was finishing buttoning up his shirt. He walked over to the door and opened it once I had my dress on properly.

Much to my suprise, Kakashi, Naruto's assigned KIA bodyguard, ran in, looking around the room sharply. Usually, at Naruto's parties, he would act as the bouncer and when his duties were finished would blend into the walls, keeping an eye on things. He rarely ever interacted with the guests. Even I had only spoken to him a few times, despite him being present whenever I hung out with Naruto. "_Where is Naruto_?" he harshly demanded more than asked.

"We don't know. What's going on?" Sasuke answered for us. I was working on putting on my second shoe when Kakashi answered.

"There is an emergency. Don't ask questions yet. Help me look for Naruto, and tell me if you find him," he said to us. I was just about to ask how we were supposed to alert him over the music when he held out his hand and revealed to us two headsets, the kind KIA agents wore. "Be discreet but quick. We don't want to start a scene."

Sasuke and I each took one, hastily thrusting them into our ears and running out the door behind the white-haired man. _Please be safe, Naruto!_


	12. Chpter 12:Protecting the Namikaze Legacy

**Okay, okay, I know I said no more POVs from anyone but the main four, but there's really no other way to write this chapter without it being from Kakashi's point of view, so here goes! By the way, slight KakaAnko is implied. (Oh them jonins ;])-Shreedin**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: Protecting the Namikaze Legacy<strong>

_Kakashi's POV_

A week ago, KIA headquarters received some valuable information from an informant. Although the validity of this information had not been established, I was ordered to take immediate precautionary actions. For the safety of my guard assignment, Naruto Uzumaki, I had stationed my subordinates around the city to discreetly monitor places that Naruto frequently went; places where someone who was tracking him down would look. The list included Haruno Tower, Sasuke Uchiha's loft, and Setsuna's. I had even placed guards at Yamanaka Mansion, just in case the threat would target Naruto's relationships. I wasn't going to take any chances with the sole Namikaze son.

With long strides I made my way through the condo, saying orders into my Communications Unit. "Iruka and Guy, secure the door. Yamato, watch the balcony for suspicious planes, contact air forces if you see anything. Hayate, watch the crowd and subdue anyone who look suspicious. Anko, await further orders. I've got Sakura and Sasuke helping me find Naruto."

"Kakashi, don't you think it's unwise to get his friends involved in this? We'll have to be responsible for them too," Anko said through her Comm.

"No, if we leave them Naruto will do something reckless and we'd have to take them along anyway. This way we can get them to aid us," I said seriously. _Where are you, Naruto?_

Through my Comms Unit I heard Sasuke tell me what I wanted to hear, "Kakashi, I've found him." I quickly asked where, and Sasuke replied, "The roof. Go into Naruto's room." I began to run. I dashed to the stairs, taking two at a time. I heard footsteps behind me and saw the Haruno girl behind me, having also heard Sasuke's report.

I opened the door and came into the boy's room, seeing three silhouettes near the open window. "What's going on, Kakashi?" Naruto asked me. I didn't answer, instead countering with a question of my own.

"Where were you?" I asked harshly.

"The roof with Ino," Naruto replied, gesturing to the blond girl at his side then to the open window. I turned on my heel, ordering the four to follow me. I silently scolded his recklessness. A roof is the worst place to be when someone from the outside is looking for you. _We have to get him out of here immediately._

"Anko," I said into my earpiece.

"Yes?," she replied not a second after.

"Anko, meet us at the elevator."

"Roger," she replied.

I led the socialites downstairs and into the foyer, where the elevator was located. Anko was already waiting for us there, hands in her pockets. "Hey guys, I'm Anko," she smiled at four, who gave their own names with confusion blatantly present on their faces. Was she not getting the importance of what we were doing?

Up until now none of them hadn't asked a single question, following my orders without protest and being very good about it. I liked this bunch.

The elevator door dinged and opened up. I ushered them inside, giving one last order to my subordinates still in the condo: "Team, orders stay the same until further notice." Then I stepped into the elevator before the doors closed, sealing us away from the party.

I allowed the elevator to move down the building a few stories before I pressed the halt button, leaving us suspended between levels. Anko moved closer to me and we huddled, keeping our voices low so that the other four in the small space could not hear us.

"Kakashi, I think we should take them to HQ. That's the safest place for all of them right now," Anko whispered. "We've already brought them this far, and it's the only logical thing to do."

I pondered her idea. "Okay."

She smiled up at me then pulled a black card from her coat pocket, swiping it against the elevator's card reader. Usually residents would swipe their keycard against the thing and after verifying the code, the elevator would bring them up directly to their residence. We, however, were using it for a much different purpose. We were all silent as the elevator descended.

After a few seconds, Sasuke spoke up, "Where are you taking us? The elevator shouldn't go this low." The boy was smart. He noticed that the elevator was descending too fast and too long for us to still be in the building's vicinity.

"Yeah, and there's no basement level in this building!" Naruto exclaimed.

Anko answered with a smile, holding up the black card, "We're taking you four to KIA Headquarters."

"But why do we have to go there?" Sakura asked.

"As I said before, there is an emergency," I said simply. Anko was about to speak about it further when I held my hand out, silencing her. "We'll let Tsunade handle this one; she wants to tell Naruto something." Anko nodded and we fell into a tense silence.

At last the elevator slowed down and came to a stop, then chimed and opened up to a long tunnel. We walked into the dark space and I turned to the group.

"Anko, you'll lead us to HQ from here." I wasn't heavily associated with underground KIA, usually accessing the base from KIA buildings. Anko, however, specialized in the behind-the-scenes. She took charge, leading us through the network of tunnels.

Trying to make small talk, my partner spoke to the girls, "How do you guys walk so fast in those heels? I know I could never do that," she laughed. Ino and Sakura answered with something along the lines of "lots of practice" but I wasn't quite listening to them.

We walked deeper into the maze of tunnels and finally reached a steel, bank-vault-worthy door. Following protocol, Anko and I placed our faces up to a scanner, a red beam of light verifying our identities by our irises. Anko typed in a code into the door and with the sound of compressed air being released, the door opened. We were now in KIA Headquarters.


	13. Chapter 13: Protecting Me

**Chapter 13: Protecting Me**

_Naruto's POV_

The headquarters of the Konoha Intelligence Agency was like a scene out of a futuristic film. Everything was bright lights and black and white, making my eyes ache slightly. The atmosphere wasn't exactly heavy, but it surely wasn't light either. Seriousness and concentration echoed against every wall and crevice of the room. People were moving everywhere, holding files and speaking into headsets. There were elevators lined up against the far wall, people constantly moving in and out of them, maneuvering between the different levels of the base. All around, agents with stern faces sat at computers that displayed holograms of the city, using their hands to interact with the image. The feeds were live; there was movement in the hologram: people and cars in real-time, walking and driving around the city.

"You spy on us?" I blurted out, peeking over the shoulder of a nearby agent with said hologram device.

"We only use the City Monitors when necessary. We respect the privacy of citizens," Anko replied.

"And why are they necessary _now?"_ Ino asked next to me quietly.

Anko smiled ruefully, saying, "You'll know soon enough, just bear with us for now."

We stood there for a little longer, and I couldn't help but feel that we should have been worried that we were just kidnapped by two Special Operatives. Why were we here again? I had grown up with Kakashi guarding me, and I was always used to doing just as he said, knowing his intentions were good and genuine. But seriously, why didn't I protest when he took all of us down here? _I need to stop being so trustful._ No, but _seriously, _what in the _hell_ were we doing here? I was about to comment when a woman in a business suit and holding a tablet computer walked up to us, greeting Anko and Kakashi. "Tsunade-sama is ready for you. Please follow me."

She led us to one of the elevators along the far wall, punching in a long code once we were all piled inside the space. The elevator moved effortlessly farther into the Earth. Sakura, Sasuke, Ino and me stood there quietly, anticipating what was going to come next. Kakashi and Anko were engaged in a conversation too quiet for the rest of us to pick up, despite all of us being so close together. The woman in the suit tapped on her tablet computer silently. I studied her, noticing a small bulge in her pencil skirt near her hip in the shape of a gun. _Well, well. _I thought. _It figures that KIA would even train and arm their secretaries. They're good._

The elevator slowed to a halt and the doors opened to a hallway lined with glass. We all stepped out, following the woman down the corridor.

I heard a small peep from Sakura and turned to look at her, noticing the direction of her look and seeing the source of her fright. The glass lining the hall was actually one huge window that looked out into a training field. Agents were shooting guns at targets and going through obstacle courses. The glass must have been a foot thick because the gunshots were completely inaudible from our side of the window.

I looked past the snipers-in-training to a platform where a woman was taking on two men. She was in a simple black tank top and cargo pants, while the men were in some kind of black gear, each armed with a steel rod. I watched the woman kick one man in the stomach, grabbing his steel stick simultaneously then twisting her body around to hammer the other man with it on the head. The first man had recovered by then, and aimed a punch to her chest. It impacted and I saw the woman tumble backwards. Despite her obvious injuries, she turned the tumble into a graceful backwards somersault, getting back up to her feet. She still had the length of steel and used it to impale the man who was running at her. Shocked that their training involved murder, I was about to shout in protest when the man with the pole through his abdomen fizzed out like a bad TV connection, the pole falling to the ground. _A training hologram._

Having eliminated one of her two virtual enemies, the female agent turned her attention to the other hologram, who was just getting up from the ground. She lifted her arm up, bringing her elbow crashing into the man's spine. He bent at an odd angle, then he too disappeared, just as the first guy had. The woman doubled over, resting with her hands on her knees. At that moment a robotic arm from the wall closest to her shot out, handing her a towel and water bottle. She took it gratefully.

I turned away from the wall, shaking my head. Then it dawned on me—my mother would have done training like that, having been a KIA agent herself. It struck me how badass my mother probably was, and the thought of it overwhelmed me. _Maybe I inherited those super ass-kicking genes too…_

Noticing the strange look Sasuke was giving me, I realized my mouth was agape and quickly shut it with a small snap. We turned a corner and the glass ended, no longer giving us a view of the training room.

Our group approached another vault-door and the three agents scanned their eyes. The door opened and immediately the sound of a yelling woman filled our ears.

"…a fool! Does he not realize that they're closing in? Please, get someone on the line who can actually help me without driving me insane or I swear I will—No! No, no, no! That's not what I want! I need someone who can take them!... Our forces are limited at the moment, what with Sound declaring war on us and all… No, I'm not asking _you _to do it, I'm asking for your advice!... Alright, alright."

The woman removed the phone from her ear and turned away from the huge screen she was facing. Upon noticing us in the room, she held a remote up to the monitor, shutting it off.

"I've brought them, as you've requested, Tsunade-sama," the woman who had led us to this room said respectfully to the older woman.

"Ah, thank you Shizune. Please escort Uchiha-san, Haruno-san, and Yamanaka-san into the other room, I need to speak to Uzumaki-san alone," Tsunade said.

"Right this way, please—" Shizune said to my friends, ushering them back towards the door before I interjected.

"Hey! What are you going to do with them?" I demanded. I was getting an irritating vibe from the old lady, something that I couldn't explain. What was she trying to separate us for?

The old woman, Tsunade, stared at me. "Shizune, please."

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Kakashi.

"Don't be paranoid, Naruto. They'll be fine. Tsunade-sama just needs to discuss something with you, something they can't know about at the moment," he reassured me.

I clenched my teeth, not liking this. "Fine," I said, and my friends were taken away. That left Anko and Kakashi standing back at the door as if guarding it, me standing in the middle of the room, and the Granny standing behind a glass desk.

"Who are you, and what do you want with me?" I asked, directing the question to Tsunade. I heard a sigh of exasperation from behind me. It was probably Kakashi.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I am the fifth Hokage," she responded.

She was the Hokage.

_The Hokage._

Instantly I backed up into a chair humbly, mumbling my apologies for being so rude. This old lady was the Hokage, head of KIA. I was face to face with the head of the country's intelligence government, and I didn't even know it. In fact, I had been _rude_ to her. Well, it was her fault, in a way. She should have introduced herself before sending Sasuke, Sakura, and Ino out of the room! I was only acting on my protective instincts.

"Ho…kage…" I whispered her title.

"Yes. Now, as for your second question, you're here because you're in danger," she answered, short and sweet. Well, maybe not so sweet. It seemed that she didn't tolerate my earlier disrespect very well.

"From what?" I inquired when she wouldn't continue. Instead of answering, she walked around to the front of her desk, taking a seat on the tabletop.

"Do you know who your father is, Naruto?" she asked, not so patiently.

"Of course I do! I'm no idiot—"

"And do you know why your mother is always out of town?"

"She enjoys travelling and—"

"Naruto. Take a moment to collect your thoughts and tell me what you know about the incident from seven years ago." She wanted me to tell her about my father's death. I was uncomfortable, not wanting to talk about _that_, of all things, and especially to a stranger, no matter how powerful they were. "Naruto, understand that I already know all about the occurrences of that day. I just want to about how much _you_ know about it, so I know how to proceed."

I was still hesitant, but I spoke anyway. "My father is Minato Namikaze," I began. "Seven years ago, my father was a Konoha Intelligence Agency operative. His unit worked to capture the members of a terrorist organization called Akatsuki. On one of his missions he was killed, leaving me and my mom behind. You guys changed my name and assigned Kakashi to me. That's all that happened. My dad died. So what?" I said, not understanding why I had to speak about the pain of losing my father.

Immediately Tsunade stood up and walked over to me. "_Do you know who your father is?"_she interrogated again.

"I already answered that! His named was Minato Namikaze! He worked for you guys!"

"Do you truly know that little of your own father?" she asked, pitying. My blood boiled. How could she accuse a son of not knowing his own father? My hands clenched and unclenched as I tried to keep myself calm.

"Fine. What do you know about him that I don't?" I challenged her.

She didn't speak for a while. When she did, she said something I was abosultely unprepared for. "Minato Namikaze was my predecessor. Your father, Naruto, was the fourth Hokage." Truth hit me in the face. I wasn't done processing that information before she continued. "Your father led KIA before I did. His main enemy was the organization you mentioned earlier, Akatsuki. His unit countered Akatsuki because the whole Agency is his unit. He was the Hokage before his tragic death during a strike mission. Do you get what is happening now, Naruto? _Akatsuki is coming for you._"

Billions of questions floated around in my mind. _Why are we fighting Akatsuki? For what reason did my dad keep his position in KIA a secret from me? Why is Akatsuki after _me?

I voiced the last question.

"Because, Naruto, your father left something with you. He also left this thing with your mother, but she is uncooperative with our efforts. That's why she's gone all the time, Naruto. Kushina is on the run. We could only protect one of you, and she insisted with all her heart and soul that we put our protection efforts towards you. She demanded that of us, then left. With her gone, Naruto, _you_ are the only one who can stop this war against Akatsuki."

"How am I supposed to help?" I asked, doubtful I could ever be of use to such a strong Agency. Tsunade walked over to a keypad that was quite randomly located in the middle of a wall and punched in a code, scanned her thumbprint, then stood back as a small rectangle of wall opened up to reveal a safe. She opened the safe and pulled out its sole content: a metal box with a variety of keyholes and small number pads along its exterior.

"Naruto, do you recognize this?" I shook my head. "Your father kept this box at his home, your home, during his time as Hokage. Before he died, he entrusted me with it. He told me that inside I could find instructions to Akatsuki's defeat. He revealed to me the locations of the keys and the digits we had to enter into the locks to open them up. But he only gave us enough information to get to the last lock, Naruto. He told us that only you and Kushina know how to open this lock, therefore ensuring both your safeties before we took on Akatsuki, since we need you in our presence at the base to be able to get the information to open the lock."

"So… You need me to open this lock for you?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes," Tsunade said.

"Well, I'm sorry, but my father didn't leave any codes or keys or anything to me. I can't help you."

"_Naruto,"_ she said my name harshly. "_Think._ Did Minato-sama leave any kind of clue with you? Any objects, symbols, read you any stories, sing you any songs? Was there anything he did, over and over, until he was convinced you were accustomed to it?"

I sat back into a seat in front of her desk and put my head in my hands. "I can't remember, I can't remember, I can't remember!"

"Naruto! Do you even realize how important this is? Lives are hanging in the balance here; Akatsuki is ready to attack at any moment! We don't have the resources and the manpower to take them on right now, not with the war with Sound going on!" Tsunade glared at me. "Don't let your failing memory be the reason for the deaths of innocent citizens!"

I began to feel some bitterness towards my late father. _You keep your life obscure from me. You go and die, making mom flee the country and leaving me with no parents. You put me in this situation without any clue as to what this old woman wants. _I quickly changed my tune, scolding myself for thinking ill of my father. It was all my fault anyway. I should have noticed that my dad was more than an average agent. He was always getting calls from people he claimed were "colleagues" and would give them orders. An ordinary operative wouldn't be dishing out orders as often as he was. An ordinary operative wouldn't recevie his huge paychecks, either. I shouldn't curse him for making my mom leave. That was her choice, and even then she was looking out for my best interests. My dad died trying to make the world a better place for everyone, and I can't think low of him for doing that. As for the not knowing what to do at the present moment… I had no one to blame. No one to blame because what Tsunade was looking for was nonexistent.

…Or was it?

"What does the last lock look like?" I asked her, something dawning on me.

"It's a pad and pen. Digital, of course," she responded, catching on to my intenseness. "Do you have something?"

"I think so. Open it up so I can see," I said. Tsunade pulled out a small purple velvet pouch and spilled its contents out onto the desk in front of us. Keys and small slips of paper fell out and the old Hokage immediately opened up lock after lock until the last one was left. She silently handed over the box to me and I looked at the pad and pen, pensive.

I took up the pen and Tsunade anxiously stood beside me. I began to draw on the pad, producing black lines where the tip of the pen touched the digital surface. Line by line, I began to draw the figure that would release the final lock, fufilling my father's legacy.

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><p><strong>How did this turn into such an intense story? I have no idea myself, but I'm liking it. :) Please review! Don't worry romance readers, I can predict the future and right now I'm senseing that there will be some good stuff coming up. (Did that sound wrong? I hope not.) :P <strong>


	14. Chapter 14: The Box

**Chapter 14: The Box**

_ "Daddy, tell me the story again!" the young boy said to his father, who was laying him down to sleep._

_ "Now, now, Naruto, it's already past your bedtime and you have to wake up early tomorrow for school," the boy's mother said from the doorway. Her beautiful burgundy hair was clipped back with a small yellow barrette. The little boy had the habit of often trying to yank it out of her head, much to his mother's aggravation. _

_ "Awww, but Mommy! Please! Daddy will tell it really short, okay? Then can I hear the story one more time?" he pleaded._

_ "I hate being the bad guy, but Naruto, you have to sleep _now,"_ Kushina said. Naruto turned over onto his side, keeping back facing his parents in complaint. _

_ "Fine. I'll go to sleep now. And Mommy?" the boy flipped over on his back to look at his mother, who had joined his father at his bedside._

_ "Yes, dear?" _

_ The boy smiled happily. "You're not a bad guy." _

_ "Thank you, Naruto," Kushina said to her yawning son. She stroked his golden hair that was identical to her husband's. Oh, how she was glad he had inherited Minato's hair. She didn't know what she would do if her son had to go through the same torment of being compared to a tomato all the time. _

_ "Daddy?" the boy stalled. He didn't want to go to sleep just yet._

_ "Yes, Naruto?" Minato said._

_ "Can Sasuke come here tomorrow to play with me after school?" _

_ The fourth Hokage couldn't refuse those big blue orbs. "Alright," he told his son with a smile. The couple got up and walked out of the room, turning off the light and whispering their goodnight's and I love you's. _

_ Inside the room now drenched in darkness, the young boy turned over to look at his wall. Painted upon it was a mural of a nine-tailed fox. Every night the boy's father would tell him a story about that fox. Naruto would ask to hear this story every night up until he was eleven. Minato would tell his son the story behind the fox in the mural. It was a story of loyalty, and Naruto never got tired of hearing it. _

_ The little blond boy raised his small hand silently, touching the fox's image. He quietly removed his hand after a pause and bade the creature goodnight before falling into a deep sleep._

_Naruto's POV_

I hadn't noticed that my father never changed the story. It was always the with same words, the same phrases, that he used to tell it. I used to tease him about unoriginality and he would respond with jokes that he wasn't creative enough to come up with more words.

The mural was left unchanging along with its story for many years. I had outgrown the fox on the wall when I was 13, begging my parents to let me paint over it. At first my father was completely against it, saying that the mural would be important to me later on in life. I argued with him, and we settled a deal: I would take a picture of the mural and keep the picture in a frame on the wall after it was painted over. Seeing as this was the best deal I could get, I accepted and got to painting my walls a deep navy.

I didn't realize the meaning of my father's words when he initially rejected my request to repaint. I didn't realize the importance of that fox until this very moment.

For the nine-tailed beast was the key to the last lock that would put the end to Akatsuki.

I drew the last talon on the animal, then set the hunk of metal on Tsunade's desk, admiring my work. On the digital pad was my drawing of the nine-tailed fox that used to be painted on my wall. Years of having its presence in my room paid off; the picture I drew fit my photographic memory to a T.

The fifth Hokage next to me didn't say anything, so I decided to speak up. "So what's supposed to happen now?"

"I-" She was interrupted by the digital pad I had just drawn on, which suddenly glowed a light green. "You did it... It always glowed red when I tried to figure out the key... But now it's green."

The green faded and from the box a small _click _could be heard. Tsunade reached out, taking the metal box gingerly into her hands, slipping her finger under the latch. She lifted the now-unlocked lid and placed it onto her desk. Tsunade pulled out three rolled-up pieces of paper; the whole of the box's contents. The Fifth rolled them out on the glass in front of her and scanned each one. She handed two of them to me, saying, "This one is for you and your mother," then she yelled, "Someone get me Shizune!"

I took the slips of paper she gave me, hearing the door shutting; probably Kakashi or Anko going to fetch the secretary. Stunned, I unrolled the paper labeled _Naruto_ in my father's handwriting.

_"Naruto, if you're reading this then I'm probably dead. Also, it means that you remembered the fox from all those nights of storytelling. I'm so proud of you Naruto. I'm sure you've grown up to be a terrific man. Please take care of yourself and your mother, I'm counting on you to be the next man in the house. I love you, Naruto, and even if I'm not there for you physically, know that I'm watching (and guiding) you from wherever I am. Stay strong. I have faith in you, Naruto! I love you. - Your father, Minato Namikaze"_

I smiled solemnly, re-rolling the paper and placing it gently into my jacket pocket. I turned the other scroll, labeled _Kushina_, over in my hand, debating whether or not to read it. I decided not to, allowing it to join my note in my pocket.

The door opened and Shizune walked in. "Tsuande-sama," she said dutifully.

"Shizune, come here immediately. You too, Kakashi and Anko. Naruto has opened the final lock," the Hokage gestured for her assistant to come over.

I sat back on the seat and pulled the note addressed to me out again, letting it rest in my hand, as if absorbing my father's words directly into my skin. I listened to their conversation, wondering if I should walk out of the room or not. Figuring I'd be better off staying in Tsunade's office rather than wandering lost around the base, I stayed seated.

"Minato-sama has written orders here," Tsunade explained, holding up the slip of paper. "They say to send a certain file over to the Kazekage so that the Sand will aid us."

"Tsunade-sama, the Sand has been uncooperative with our efforts for many years now. How can we trust that they will send aid?" Shizune pointed out grimly.

"This says that the file in question will convince the Kazekage to reconsider," the Hokage tried to explain.

"But how?" Kakashi asked skeptically. "They refused to aid us against the Sound. How will anything make them join us against Akatsuki, which is an even larger threat?"

Tsunade frowned. "Perhaps they owed Namikaze-sama something. Whatever the case, it doesn't matter. We have no other strategy, having been relying on the contents of Minato-sama's box to guide us. We have his instructions now, thanks to Naruto, and I'm not going to disregard them. Shizune, will you please locate this file? I will get in touch with the Kazekage and we will send the file as soon as possible. This can't wait any longer."

The Fifth picked up her desk telephone and ordered someone on the other side of the line to "bring up the Kazekage" and to "tell them it is regarding Minato Namikaze-sama." She held a remote to the large screen on the wall and it turned on. At first it was black, then an image showed up and a ringing sound reverberated around the room, the kind you hear when you're calling someone with a phone.

The ringing stopped and the Kazekage's face appeared on the screen. "Hokage-san," he said in way of greeting.

"Kazekage-san," Tsunade greeted the head of the S.I.A. (Sunagakure Intelligence Agency).

"Your men told mine that this was urgent and that it pertained to the late Fourth Hokage. Please inform me as to why you have set up communications with our city."

"Our Agency has come across an important file within our system that the late Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze-sama, has left for us. Along with this file we have discovered instructions to send said file to your Agency."

"I accept the file. Send it over immediately and I will read it once I receive it." Tsunade nodded over to Shizune, who clicked a button and nodded back the Hokage.

"My secretary has sent it, Kazekage-san. We do not have any clue as to what this file's contents are, as it is the late Hokage's wishes that we do not read it. It is for your eyes only."

There was a long pause as the Kazekage evaluated the file. I watched the knots in his eyebrows disappear as his expression on the screen grew less aggressive and more calm and open. Finally he said, "What do you require of my Agency?"

Tsunade grew visibly relieved and drew a long breath, having probably been holding her breath the whole time. She recovered quickly and answered, "We require your aid in defeating Akatsuki."

"I have anticipated this request from you, Hokage-san. If you would be so kind as to enlighten me as to how my Agency will help you, that would be much appreciated."

Having sensed the Kazekage's rude tone, Tsunade became stony. "Orders from our late Hokage instruct us to infiltrate Akatsuki's information center and send them your way. Your Agency commands the greatest anti-terrorism force of all the Agencies."

"You want us to handle Akatsuki for you with our military."

"That is correct." There was a long silence after that. "Kazekage-san, I have already contacted the Mizukage and Raikage. They offered their respective aid in defeating Akatsuki, should you require it. And as the Hokage, I will also send forces currently not aimed at our war with Sound, to this effort."

"Our superior military forces do not require aid. We will do your dirty work for you, Hokage," the Kazekage said, dropping the respectful honorific. "Be grateful your predecessor was a great man. Had Namikaze-san not led your forces once, my Agency would never consider fighting your wars. _Do_ remember that. My subordinates will be in contact with you regarding strategy and proceedings." And with that the conference was over.

Tsunade sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. I watched her walk over to a cabinet and pull out a bottle of sake. She didn't bother pouring a glass, drinking the rice wine straight from the bottle. She took a few hearty chugs and lifted the bottle in my direction, seeing my grimace. "You can start chugging this stuff down by the bottle without killing yourself once you've experienced as much stress as I have." She took another swig and threw the empty bottle into a bin in the corner.

"Shizune, please show Naruto to the room where the others are. Then come back to help us," she gestured to Anko and Kakashi, "discuss battle strategy. And Naruto," she looked me directly in the eyes, "you may tell Uchiha-san, Haruno-san, and Yamanaka-san about what happened here. But do _not_ tell anyone else. The public must know only what we allow to be broadcasted on the networks. I trust that you will not disobey me."

I nodded to her, following Shizune out of the room, slightly dizzy. We walked into a room where I found Sakura, Sasuke, and Ino sitting on couches. They were all sipping coffee brewed from a small coffee maker in the corner. It looked like a hospital waiting area.

They all looked up as Shizune deposited me in the room, walking back to Tsunade's office once I was safely inside. "Hey, guys."

"Naruto! What happened?" Sakura asked immediately. Ino gestured for me to come over and I sat beside her. I told them about everything that happened in the Hokage's office.

"Your father was the _Hokage?_" Ino asked once I finished briefing them.

"It seems so," I said, looking into my open palms, tired.

"Let me get this straight," Sakura said, "Thanks to you, the Hokage was able to access information your father left for her, get Sunagakure to be friendly with us, _and_ defeat Akatsuki?" I nodded.

"They're not gone yet, though. Tsunade-sama has to find a way to get Akatsuki to go to the Sand, then the SIA will take over from there. Apparently they have the larger military force."

Sasuke grinned bleakly. "They're taking out our trash for us." I returned his look with a somber smile of my own.

"Naruto..." Ino began. I looked at the beautiful blonde next to me and she continued, "Does this mean your mother can come back to the city?"

"I.. I guess it does," I replied.

Our conversation after that focused around thoughts of the future. A future with no more threats, no more danger, and no more war. A future of happiness, and joy, of love and friendship. A future together.

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><p><strong>Sadly, the next chapter is the Epilogue. :( MDK is coming to an enddd. BUT DON'T BE SAD! <em>I'm drafting a sequel<em> :)**

**Thank you to everyone who has read this far. I love you. **

**Reviews kindly accepted :) **


	15. Epilogue

**Hey guys, it's been a great 9 days that it took me to write MDK, and thank you so much for reading it! Important author's note at the bottom regarding the sequel ;). -Shreedin**

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><p><strong>Chapter 15: Epilogue<strong>

It's been two months since that fateful party. No one seemed to notice a connection between the night's events and the news broadcast that aired the next day. To the public, there was a socialite party in the night and a government success the next morning.

Television programs and radio shows were cut short by a nation-wide government-issued broadcast that declared the official destruction of the terrorist organization, Akatsuki. No details pertaining to the tactics used to take them down were given besides the fact that the Konoha Intelligence Agency had collaborated with the Sunagakure Intelligence Agency, much to everyone's surprise.

The skies look good for our four young socialites. With the Akatsuki threat gone, KIA was convinced that Naruto Uzumaki no longer required around-the-clock surveillance and Kakashi Hatake was promoted to become an elite operative, working alongside Anko Mitarashi and reporting directly to Tsunade. Now free to do what he pleases, Naruto is having the time of his life, and can often be seen around town with his girlfriend, Ino Yamanaka.

After much contemplation, Ino signed a record deal with her parents, and her first album went multi-platinum. She still lives in her parent's estate in West Konoha Hills, recording from the family's in-home music studio. Her music has been featured in many films directed and produced by the Harunos.

Sakura Haruno continues to be the independent woman she is, continuing to live on her own in her parent's building. She has taken up car collecting, and can often be seen visiting car shows all around Konoha. The pink-haired socialite still prefers to drive her white M3 convertible, though, and keeps it in pristine condition. Sakura still refuses to become an actress, due to her bizarre phobia of the paparazzi. She will never forget the day when her current boyfriend, Sasuke Uchiha, saved her from the swarm of the dreaded cameramen. In fact, she still dreams about that day.

Sasuke, loyal to his kin as ever, still visits his family's graves every week. Upon his request and dedication, Sasuke has erected a small Uchiha Memorial stone on the highway where his brother's car crashed. This stone, in the shape of the family's crest, can be seen on the highway just outside Konoha, and is accompanied by a small inscription outlining the events of that crash. With the aid of Naruto, Sakura, and now Ino, Sasuke has found peace and happiness.

All is well in Konoha. The war against Sound has been won and troops are coming home. Women and children embrace the men filing out from military planes with cried of joy and relief.

Life does not always turn out the way we would like it to. There will always be trials and tribulations, and things may not go the way you expect. Good and bad will always coexist, there's no changing that. The world we live in is sometimes unfair, and we must accept that. (Konohamaru certainly has, and look!, he's got a girlfriend - his age - now.) Life is fast, so enjoy it while it lasts, and live it to the fullest.

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><p><strong>... BUT WAIT! Modern Day Konoha is not over yet! The sequel to this story, called Modern Day Konoha 2, is already up on my page! Please check it out! <strong>

**Title: Modern Day Konoha 2**

**Synopsys: Sequel to my first story, Modern Day Konoha. Loaded with sick parties, sweet rides, and a new plot. This sequel promises humongous drama you won't want to miss. SasuSaku/NaruIno**


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